Tiaras are traditionally worn by married women of the British Royal Family, especially on their wedding day. In recent years it’s become somewhat of a pastime of royals fans to speculate and discuss a bride-to-be’s choice of tiara for her special day. Remember Meghan Markle’s beautiful diamond bandeau wedding tiara? Or Princess Eugenie’s emerald diadem?
WATCH: Exquisite Tiaras Owned By The British Royal Family
Aesthetics aside, these impressive pieces of jewellery often have interesting histories too. Like, did you know that many of Queen Mary’s tiaras were created from pre-existing necklaces? Or that certain tiaras were created because the Crown Jewels couldn’t be brought out of the UK? Here, we look at some of the most memorable and most beautiful tiaras worn by British royals.
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The Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara
This tiara has a lot of sentimental value to Queen Elizabeth II, as this was given to her by her grandmother, Queen Mary of Teck, on her wedding day. She famously wore the tiara in one of her first public appearances after her father’s burial, and she has taken it to several state visits and official affairs.
With its fleur-de-lis design and diamond spikes (originally topped with large pearls), it’s become one of the most well-recognised pieces of royal jewellery in the Queen’s collection.
Who wears it today? This is one of Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite royal tiaras.
The Lotus Flower Tiara
Made from a necklace gifted to the Queen Mother, the Lotus Flower Tiara was a favourite of Queen Elizabeth II’s sister, Princess Margaret. The princess crown features a unique lotus pattern and is adorned with pearls and diamonds. Some people call this tiara the “Papyrus Tiara”.
Who wears it today? Perhaps in tribute to her late sister, who passed before her son Viscount Linley’s wedding to Serena Stanhope, the Queen loaned the tiara to Serena for the special day.
Kate Middleton (The Duchess of Cambridge) has also worn this tiara, most notably at the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace in 2013 – her first public appearance following her wedding to Prince William.
The George IV State Diadem
This is one tiara that’s only fit for a queen. King George IV commissioned the antique diadem in 1820 for his coronation ceremony. It has been worn by queens and queen consorts during State Openings of Parliament and coronation ceremonies.
The diadem is unique not only for its long history, but its extravagant design – it’s got four large cross patteés with gold diamonds and four flower bouquets comprising a rose, shamrock, and thistle. There are over 1,000 diamonds in this diadem, along with two bands of pearls.
Who wears it today? As mentioned, only the Queen wears this diadem. Should Prince Charles ascend to the throne, his wife and Queen consort-to-be Camilla Parker-Bowles will wear this at his coronation procession, and State Openings of Parliament.
The Modern Sapphire Tiara
Before this wonderful piece came into the British Royal Family’s possession, the Modern Sapphire Tiara belonged to Princess Louise of Belgium. However, back then, Princess Louise wore the jewels as a necklace rather than a headpiece. The Queen often pairs this tiara with a necklace and earrings adorned with sapphires.
Who wears it today? Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau Tiara
While this tiara has been in the Queen’s collection since her mother Queen May passed in 1953, it only resurfaced 65 years later when Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex wore it on her wedding day. And boy did she look stunning in it!
One notable feature of this platinum tiara is its detachable brooch – a large diamond encircled by nine smaller ones.
Who wears it today? Brides often wear their wedding tiaras well after their wedding days, but it’s too early to tell if Meghan will continue to use this one.
The Delhi Durbar Tiara
King George V commissioned this platinum and gold tiara from Garrard so that Queen Mary would have something to wear at the Delhi Durbar of 1911, which marked the couple’s proclamation as Emperor and Empress of India. The tiara was created because the Crown Jewels are not allowed to be taken outside of the UK.
Who wears it today? The tiara was only worn once in recent history when Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall donned the piece in 2005. Perhaps the reason it’s rarely used is because it’s quite large and seemingly uncomfortable!
The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara
Named after its first owner, Russian Grand Duchess Pavlovna, this tiara is made up of 15 interlocking diamond encrusted circles, each with a pearl or emerald hanging in the middle of the loop. Sometimes the Queen wears the tiara with no centre jewels.
Who wears it today? Queen Elizabeth II.
The York Diamond Tiara
This is one of the few diamonds on this list that hasn’t been worn by Queen Elizabeth II. Rather, this diamond tiara was created specifically for Sarah Ferguson’s wedding to Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. The Duchess of York’s tiara was made by renowned jeweller Garrard.
Who wears it today? Seeing as Sarah Ferguson is divorced from Prince Andrew, it is unlikely that we’ll see her tiara in public soon. Perhaps we’ll see Princess Beatrice wear the piece on her wedding?
The Cartier Halo Tiara
Also known as the Scroll Tiara, the Halo Tiara was made by Cartier in 1936. King George VI gifted his wife with the diamond and platinum tiara, which she gave to her daughter Elizabeth II on her 18th birthday. While the tiara had been lent to other royals like Princess Anne and Princess Margaret, it gained notoriety as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding tiara.
Who wears it today? Catherine continues to wear this tiara at functions.
The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara
This is another antique tiara that recently resurfaced at a royal wedding. Originally made for British philanthropist Margaret Greville, this tiara was passed on to Queen May upon the former’s death and eventually lent to Queen Elizabeth II. Princess Eugenie famously brought the tiara into the public eye when she wore it on her wedding day in 2018.
The tiara is adorned with six small emeralds and several diamonds and features one more massive 93-carat centre emerald.
Who wears it today? Princess Eugenie chose this piece as her wedding tiara.
The Burmese Ruby Tiara
When Queen Elizabeth married Prince Philip, she was given 96 rubies by the people of Burma as a wedding gift. She had the rubies placed in a newly commissioned tiara, which was also made with diamonds sourced from another tiara.
Who wears it today? Most recently, the Queen wore the tiara at US President Trump’s state visit. Some speculated that the Queen’s choice to wear the tiara had something to do with the Burmese belief that rubies ward off evil!
RELATED: The reason Meghan Markle hasn’t worn a tiara on her Royal Tour
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