The Most Breathtaking Royal Tiaras Of All Time
There are a lot of rules about what the royal family can and can't wear. Fascinators are a must for women for most fancy events, young princes never wear pants, and ladies aren't allowed to wear tiaras until they get married. Once they're set to walk down the aisle, though, some sort of bejeweled headwear must feature in their wedding day ensemble.
Some of the tiaras that royal brides have chosen to wear over the years have been passed down from generation to generation. Other royal tiaras make appearances at state dinners and events. Keep reading to see all of the beautiful tiaras that royal women have worn.
Queen Elizabeth II Has More Precious Jewel Tiaras Than Anybody In The World
Queen Elizabeth II is now the longest-ruling monarch of the British Commonwealth. She rose to power in 1952 after her father, King George VI died. Because she's been around for so long, she's been able to collect quite a large number of gorgeous, bejeweled tiaras.
On her wedding day in 1947, Queen Elizabeth II wore a diamond tiara that once belonged to her grandmother, Queen Mary. Elizabeth married Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the pair are still together to this day.
Meghan Also Wore A Tiara That Belonged To Queen Mary
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was a spectacle, to say the least. Meghan is the first American to marry into the royal family, plus she was already famous in her own right before she and Harry got together. People on both sides of the pond wondered what kind of tiara Meghan would choose for the big day.
On May 19th, 2018, we got to see her walk down the aisle in this diamond bandeau tiara that once belonged to Queen Mary. The 10 diamonds featured in the center of the tiara date back to 1893.
Princess Diana Wore An Icy White Gold Tiara On Her Wedding Day
When Princess Diana married into the royal family, the world stopped to take notice. The public was enamored with this seemingly regular girl who was becoming a real-life princess. Unfortunately, we all know how Diana's story ends, and her newfound fame actually contributed to her untimely death.
For a while there, though, it seemed like everything was working out for this gorgeous young lady. Diana wore a stunning white gold and diamond tiara while en route to the State Opening of Parliament in November 1981. She wore a different tiara to her wedding.
Princess Diana's Wedding Tiara Was A Family Heirloom
The tiara that Princess Diana wore on her wedding day wasn't passed down through the royal family. It actually belonged to Diana's grandmother, Lady Cynthia Hamilton. Cynthia wore it on her wedding day when she married Albert, Viscount Althorp in 1919.
The tiara was made from jewels which once belonged to Albert's great aunt, Lady Sarah Isabella Spencer. Diana wasn't the only modern bride to wear this tiara. Daina's siblings, Jane and Sarah, also wore the headpiece at their weddings, as did Diana's niece.
Autumn Kelly Got The Princess Treatment
Princess Anne is Queen Elizabeth II's second child and only daughter. Peter Philips is Princess Anne's second child and only son. On May 17th, 2008, Peter Phillips married Autumn Kelly. On her wedding day, Autumn Kelly wore a tiara that was given to Anne the same year that she married Mark Phillips. It was a gift from the World Wide Shipping Group. Anne received it in 1973 because she christened a ship for the group.
Princess Anne wears this tiara a lot. It may be her favorite tiara in her collection.
Queen Elizabeth Wore Rubies To Meet President Trump
We've already discussed Queen Elizabeth II's extensive tiara collection. She has a tiara for every occasion, including for attending a banquet in honor of President Trump. Queen Elizabeth wore this ruby-encrusted headpiece at the 2019 State Banquet in honor of President Trump's visit to the United Kingdom. This particular tiara was a gift from Burma.
The tiara has 96 rubies on it, and in Burmese culture, rubies are thought to ward off evil and disease.
Princess Madeleine Is All About Color
We're going to take a break from the British royal family for a moment and talk about an entirely different royal family. This is Princess Madeleine of Sweden. The tiara she's wearing once belonged to her great-grandmother, Margaret of Connaught. Margaret left the tiara to Madeleine's aunt, Princess Margaretha of Sweden, but Margaretha doesn't mind sharing this beauty from time to time.
This tiara was designed in accordance with 'kokoshnik' aesthetics, a style that was popular during the nineteenth century in Russia.
Kate Middleton's Tiara Is As Elegant As She Is
Kate Middleton married Prince William on April 29th, 2011. The world stopped to watch this woman become a royal, knowing that one day both her husband and her child would rule the entire British Commonwealth. As soon as the public found out that Kate and William were dating, this woman became a fashion icon.
So it's no wonder that everyone wanted to know what she'd be wearing on her wedding day. Kate wore the Cartier Halo Tiara which was made in 1936. King George VI gave it to his wife, Elizabeth as a gift.
Sarah Ferguson's Tiara Came Directly From The Queen
In 1986, Prince Andrew, the Queen's son, married Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey. It was a lavish affair, and Sarah wore a headpiece known as the York Diamond Tiara. The tiara was purchased especially for Sarah by the Queen herself.
Sarah and Andrew got divorced in 1996, but Sarah kept the tiara. She wore it to Elton John’s White Tie and Tiara Ball in 2001. Some people thought she would wear it to her daughter, Princess Eugenie's wedding in 2018, but she borrowed a different tiara from the Queen instead.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex Chose An Ornate Tiara For Her Wedding Day
In 1999, Sophie Rhys-Jones married Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, the Queen's youngest child. Sophie wore a gorgeous, silk organza gown and a unique pearl necklace on her wedding day, but we were all looking at that stunning diamond tiara.
We hadn't seen this particular tiara in public before. Some experts think it may have belonged to Queen Victoria, while others think that it was on loan from Queen Elizabeth II. Wherever it came from, we can all agree that it looks perfect on Sophie.
A Tiara That's Been Passed Around
This is a photo of Serena Stanhope on the day that she married Lord Linley in 1993. Lord Linley is the son of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. Serena emulated Maragaret's style on her wedding day, choosing to wear a custom gown that looked a lot like Margaret's gown, and the Lotus Flower Tiara, which happens to be one of Margaret's favorite tiaras.
Serena isn't the only royal who's worn this tiara, though. Kate Middleton has been seen wearing it at a few high profile events.
Zara Tindall Wore Princess Anne's Tiara
Zara Tindall is the daughter of Princess Anne, the Queen's only daughter. Zara is also a world-renown equestrian. She is currently 17th in line to the Brittish throne. In 2011, she married a fellow athlete, rugby player Mike Tindall.
On her wedding day, Zara wore a tiara that still belongs to her mother. This is the gorgeous Meander Tiara from Princess Anne's personal collection. It looks perfect with Zara's polished updo. She might be shining brighter than the jewels on this headpiece.
Princess Anne Is Used To Wearing Fancy Tiaras
We've already seen Princess Anne's children on this list, but what about the woman herself? Princess Anne grew up in the royal family, so she's used to wearing some pretty expensive jewelry.
In this photo, taken in 1970, Anne is at a formal event in New Zealand. She's wearing the Scroll Diamond Tiara (also known as the Cartier Halo Tiara), which you might just recognize. This is the tiara that Kate Middleton wore when she married Prince William.
A New Branch Of The Royal Family
When Dr. Claire Alexandra Booth married Alexander Windsor, the Earl of Ulster, she wore a stunning diamond tiara. Alexander Windsor is the son of Prince Richard and the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II.
This tiara may have been a gift from Alexander's parents, Prince Richard and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester. Claire and Alexander now have two children of their own, Lord Xan Richard Anders Windsor and Lady Cosima Rose Alexandra Windsor. Maybe Cosmina will wear this tiara one day when she gets married.
This Tiara Has A Long History
Lady Rose Gilman is Alexander Winsor's sister. In 2007, she married George Gilman. On her wedding day, she wore a long white couture gown and a classic diamond tiara.
This particular tiara is the Iveagh Tiara, which was gifted to Queen Mary on her wedding day. This tiara has a strong connection to Rose's family. It's been worn by two Duchesses of Gloucester, Alice and Birgitte. By choosing to wear this tiara on her wedding day, tiara showed how much she values her family history.
Camilla Finally Got Her Crown In 2005
This is the Delhi Durbar Tiara which was originally made for Queen Mary in 1911. That year, King George V and Queen Mary became Emperor and Empress of India. This tiara was made from bits of another tiara, and then it was set in platinum and gold. This tiara used to also have emerald drops on top of it, but those were removed so they could be added to a different tiara.
When Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall attended her first banquet as a member of the royal family, she wore this tiara.
Birgitte, Duchess Of Gloucester Had A Non-Traditional Wedding
We've talked about Birgitte's children already, but now let's discuss Birgitte Eva Henriksen, the Duchess of Gloucester. Birgitte married Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester in 1972. Their wedding wasn't all that traditional by royal standards.
There weren't any bridesmaids at this wedding. Also, Birgitte didn't wear a jeweled tiara on her big day. She wore a flower crown instead. She did wear a veil, though, so the wedding did have some traditional elements.
You Don't Have To Be A Royal To Wear A Tiara
This is Laura Lopes, who is the daughter of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Camilla's former husband, Andrew Parker Bowles. Laura is royal adjacent, but she isn't a direct descendant of royalty. She's not marrying a royal either. She's on this list because Prince Charles is her stepfather.
Laura married Harry Lopes in 2006, and on her wedding day, she wore the Cubitt-Shand Tiara. This tiara belonged to Camilla, and Camilla actually wore it when she married Laura's father.
An Artsy Wedding
This is a photo of Lady Helen Taylor on the day that she married art dealer Timothy Taylor in 1992. Helen and designer Giorgio Armani actually had a pretty close relationship back in the day, and Helen was something of a muse for Armani.
Lady Helen wore the Kent Diamond and Pearl Fringe Tiara on her wedding day. Many other royal brides have also been attracted to this headpiece, and it always looks lovely on whoever wears it.
A Product Of Mixing And Matching
This is a photo of Lady Sarah Chatto and Daniel Chatto on their wedding day. Lady Sarah is a painter and Princess Margaret's daughter. On the day she got married, Sarah chose to wear the Snowdon Floral Tiara, which was made out of three different brooches, all of which belonged to Princess Margaret. This tiara definitely has a lot of history.
This tiara was only worn to a public event once, and that event was Sarah Chatto's wedding.
Mixed Metals Are Back In Style
On April 24, 1963, Princess Alexandra of Kent married Angus James Ogilvy at Westminster Abbey. Princess Alexandra is Queen Elizabeth II's first cousin.
On her wedding day, Alexandra wore the City of London Diamond Fringe tiara. This unique headpiece features diamonds that are set in both gold and silver. This particular tiara originally belonged to Alexandra's mother, Princess Marina. It's not that often you see a tiara that contains mixed metals. The Diamond Fringe tiara really is one of a kind.
Diamonds And Pearls And Gold, Oh My
The Kent Diamond and Pearl Fringe Tiara is studded with both diamonds and pearls. It was first worn by Katharine Worsley on the day that she married Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, one of Queen Elizabeth's first cousins. The pair got married in 1961.
This is the same tiara that Katharine's daughter, Lady Helen Taylor, wore on her wedding day. Katharine's daughter-in-law, the Countess of St. Andrews, also wore the tiara on her big day.
Princess Margaret Didn't Just Wear A Tiara On Her Wedding Day
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960. The pair had a lovely wedding but unfortunately, they couldn't make the relationship work and they ended up divorcing in 1978. Margaret and Antony had two children together.
Margaret wore a gorgeous tiara on her wedding day, but as Queen Elizabeth II's sister, she had plenty of other opportunities to wear tiaras as well. In this photo, which was taken in 1990, she's wearing a stunning tiara and a fur coat.
From One Kingdom To Another
This is a photo of Princess Alexandra on her wedding day. That tiara she's wearing is on loan from her mother, Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. Marina married Prince George on their wedding day on November 29th, 1934. After marrying George, Marina became the Duchess of Kent.
She received the tiara as a wedding gift from the city of London. When Alexandra got married, Marina was happy to lend her this stunning diamond tiara.
A Duchess With A Keen Sense Of Color
Prince Henry, Queen Mary and King George V third son, married Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott In 1935. After they got married, Alice became the Duchess of Gloucester.
Alice's wedding tiara was a gift from Queen Mary. You can't really tell in this black and white photo, but Alice's wedding dress isn't white, but rather a pale shade of pink. Alice wasn't exactly a traditional bride. She loved to travel and lived a life full of fun and adventure.
Elizabeth I Danced Up A Storm
This is a photo of the Queen Mother, AKA the Queen Mum, AKA Elizabeth I dancing up a storm at London University's Senate House Ball on November 28, 1958. Elizabeth seems like she's having a ball dancing the night away with these students.
The event was special enough to warrant a tiara because Elizabeth I is the Delhi Durbar Tiara on her head, which is the largest tiara in the Windsor collection. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall actually wore it recently.
Sapphires Aren't For The Faint Of Heart
This is a photo of Princess Diana's engagement ring, which is the same ring that Prince William used to propose to Kate Middleton. Diana actually picked this ring out a Garrad catalog, and some members of the royal family weren't so happy about her decision.
It wasn't the fact that this is a sapphire and not a diamond that threw them off. They didn't like that she chose a ring that wasn't custom made. This was the first time a member of the royal family wore an engagement ring that was available to the general public.
The Brooch In The Center Of It All
Prince Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, let Meghan Markle wear Mary's Bandeau Tiara on her wedding day. Meghan got to look through all of the Queen's tiaras and choose the one that she liked the best.
This tiara was custom made to showcase that stone in the center, which is actually a brooch that was given to Mary of Teck in 1893. It was a wedding gift from the Country of Lincoln to honor her marriage to Prince George.
Queen Victoria's Finger Was Too Big For The Coronation Ring
In 1838, this ring made especially for the coronation of Queen Victoria was fashioned out of gold, rubies, and sapphires. Unfortunately, ring sizers weren't exactly a thing back then, and the goldsmiths who made the ring vastly underestimated Victoria's finger size.
During the coronation ceremony, the ring was forced onto Victoria's finger anyway. She had to soak her hand in ice water after the event to get the ring to come off. It is a gorgeous ring, though.
A Gift From Canada
When King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Canada in 1939, George bought his wife this diamond maple leaf brooch. When Queen Elizabeth died in 2002, the brooch became the property of her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II.
This little maple leaf has really made its way around the royal family. It's one of the most loaned pieces of jewelry in the Queen's collection. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Kate Middleton have both worn the pin on several occasions.
A Purple Brooch For A Purple Outfit
We all know that Queen Elizabeth II loves a monochrome color palette. So of course, she's going to want to match her jewelry to whatever outfit she happens to be wearing. The Kent Amethyst Brooch is the Brooch she most often wears when she's in the mood for purple.
The stone at the center of this brooch is part of a set of amethysts owned by the British royal family. The stones first belonged to Queen Victoria's mother, the Duchess of Kent.
Diamonds That Span Generations
Pictured above is the Coronation Necklace and matching diamond earrings which have been worn by every British Queen since Queen Victoria. The whole set is made up of 25 diamonds, and that center diamond weighs a total of 22.48 carats. It's known as the Lahore Diamond.
That diamond once sat on a tiara that Queen Victoria owned, but she took it off of the tiara, added it to the necklace, and also fashioned earrings out of pieces of the tiara.
An Intricate Pearl Choker From Japan
This pearl and diamond choker belongs to Queen Elizabeth II. She had the choker made out of pearls that were gifted to her by the Japanese government in the early '80s. It has remained in her collection ever since. We've seen this choker on Princess Diana and Kate Middleton, so it does get worn from time to time.
The necklace is made up of four strands of pearls that are all connected to a center diamond pendant.
A Necklace Dripping With Diamonds
When Queen Elizabeth II got married, her parents, King George VI and the Queen Mother, gifted her this diamond and ruby necklace that was made by Boucheron in 1907.
We haven't seen this necklace on the Queen since the early '80s, but in 2017, Kate Middleton wore it to the Spanish State Banquet at Buckingham Palace. The rich red rubies looked spectacular against her soft pink Marchesa gown. That deep v-neck really shows off this impressive piece of jewelry.
Kate Middleton Has Royal Taste
In the photo on the left, the Queen Mother is wearing one of her favorite pairs of earrings. These are known as the diamond and sapphire fringe earrings, and in this photo, she's wearing them to a birthday celebration in 1986.
These jewels have been passed down from generation to generation. In the photo on the right, Kate Middleton is pictured wearing the very same earrings on the night of a gala at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London on October 27th, 2015.
An Art Deco Bracelet For A Modern Woman
Believe it or not, the bracelet that Kate Middleton is wearing in this photo was actually a choker that belonged to Queen Mary. After Mary died, this piece disappeared from the public eye until the Queen Mother wore it for her 75th birthday portrait. The choker now belongs to Queen Elizabeth II, but she's happy to let Kate borrow it whenever she wants.
Kate wore the choker as a bracelet recently at a gala dinner benefitting East Anglia's Children's Hospices.
The Royal Family Loves Sapphires
We already know that the Queen likes to coordinate her jewelry with her outfits, so it's no surprise that she's wearing a sapphire brooch with a royal blue top. This sapphire brooch was a gift from Queen Victoria to Prince Albert given on the day before the two got married.
Victoria wore this brooch many times, both because of its sentimental value and because of how much she liked the gem. Queen Elizabeth II also wears it frequently. In the photo above she's wearing it at a reception for secretaries held at The Queen's Gallery in 2017.
The Meaning Behind Meghan Markle's Engagement Ring
Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle with a trio of stones on a yellow gold band. Typically, three stones on an engagement ring symbolizes the couple's past, present, and future. Harry designed this ring especially for Meghan along with the help of the famed jeweler British Cleave & Co.
The diamond in the center of the stone is from Botswana, which is a county that's special to Meghan and Harry. The side stones once belonged to Harry's mother, Princess Diana.
A Necklace Through The Ages
The necklace featured in these photos dates back to 1863. It was originally given as a gift to Princess Alexandra of Denmark on the eve of her wedding. The necklace is known as Queen Alexandra's Wedding Necklace. Eventually, the Queen Mother inherited the necklace. When she died in 2002, it became Queen Elizabeth II's property.
This is a necklace that the royal family likes to showcase often. In the photo on the far right, Kate Middleton is wearing the necklace to an important gala in 2018.
The History Of The Sovereign's Orb
The orb on the left of this photo is known as the Sovereign's Orb. It was created in 1661 for the coronation of Charles II. Since then, it has been a part of every subsequent coronation ceremony.
The orb is made up of more than 600 gems and pure solid gold. In 1689, when William and Mary rose to the throne as King and Queen, an orb was made for them as well. That's the orb that's on the right of this photo.