Lady Londonderry and the loo

(It may come as little surprise that, by the grace of the photographer, the august lady's torso has been noticeably "whittled".)

Theresa, marchioness of Londonderry (6 June 1856 - 16 March 1919), wife of Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest-Stewart, sixth marquess of Londonderry. Born Lady Theresa Susey Helen Chetwynd Talbot, eldest daughter of Charles John, 19th Earl of Shrewsbury, she was one of the great Conservative hostesses of late Victorian and Edwardian British society.

She is pictured in her robes for the coronation of Edward VII in 1902, wearing one of the great Londonderry jewels, a diamond and pearl tiara that she referred to as the "family fender". During that particularly solemn occasion, this tiara endured a great indignity when it slipped from the head of the marchioness and fell into one of the toilets at Westminster Abbey. Her predicament only became known when her protracted stay in the loo began to cause alarm, and she was forced to call for assistance. Apparently, the tiara was eventually extricated with the use of forceps.

The tiara, made by Garrard in 1854, still exists in the Londonderry family, but has been modified: Each element was set with a central pearl, but those have
been replaced by diamonds, mounted en  tremblant. And it appears that the upstanding pear-shaped pearls, which were always removable, are no longer used.