Princess Eugenie, Princess Diana, Kate Middleton
A tiara is not just a beautiful piece of jewelry that royalty and British nobility wear on special occasions. This is a status item that symbolizes tradition, connection with the past and family. Often daughters prefer to wear the same jewelry at their wedding that their mothers wore at their own celebration.
For a “commoner” bride who was lucky enough to become the chosen one of a prince or a representative of the royal house, the groom’s family can borrow the tiara, taking it from the treasury. In some cases, the tiara that the queen allowed the bride to wear may be a signal of special treatment from the British monarch.
Each tiara has its own history, which can often be traced back to the original owner or the original piece of jewelry (necklace or brooch, for example) from which it was made. From the Queen Mother's tiara in 1923 to Princess Beatrice's when she got married in 2022, Robb Report has rounded up some of the most beautiful jewelery masterpieces worn by royal brides over the last century.
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon with her husband on their wedding day
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Wedding date: April 2, 1923
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the wife of King George VI and the mother of the current Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. Her wedding to the future monarch took place on April 2, 1923. Strictly speaking, she did not wear a tiara to her celebration: not only did the bride appear before the groom in a straight wedding dress, atypical for aristocrats, fashionable in the 1920s, her head was adorned with a lace veil of Mary of Teck (grandmother of Elizabeth II) and a wreath of myrtle.
But in the wedding photograph the girl is depicted wearing the Strathmore Roses tiara, which she received as a gift from her father, the Earl of Strathmore. It was manufactured by Catchpole & Williams back in the 19th century. The elegant gold decoration in the form of five intertwined roses was set with diamonds. But if desired, the central stones could be replaced with sapphires. In addition, the flowers could be removed and worn as individual brooches. The tiara itself was not worn on the hair, but according to the fashion of the 1920s, along the line of the forehead.
Unfortunately, the tiara can be called undeservedly forgotten. At a certain point, the decoration simply disappeared from view. The last time it was shown to the general public was almost 20 years ago, in 2002, at an exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It was held the same year that Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon died.
Princess Marina with her husband on their wedding day
For different lengths
Depending on the length of your hair, you can create different wedding looks using a tiara.
Long hair does not limit your imagination in any way - you can create absolutely any style with it and select the appropriate tiara design to match it. For short hair and medium length, there are slightly fewer wedding styles, but you can choose the perfect one from them.
Advice! When creating a wedding hairstyle with a tiara, it is recommended to try different types of styling and experiment with hairstyles. It is often through experimentation that it is possible to find an option that will make the image impeccable.
Try opening up your neckline or décolleté if your wedding dress has a deep neckline. Or divide your hair into a side parting and braid a loose waterfall braid on one side, decorating the opposite side with a comb tiara. Don't be afraid to fantasize!
For long
Most often, long-haired girls opt for a massive tiara , because a small or narrow tiara is easily lost in luxurious hair.
The most current wedding hairstyles with a tiara for long hair:
- Laconic coarsely curled curls that are not collected, but left loose. The veil is also secured on top with invisible pins. This hairstyle is more suitable for young brides or romantic people;
- A wide braid braided around the head or laid to one side, combined with a simple tiara design. A voluminous braid does not require additional decorations - flowers, ribbons and other decorative elements, otherwise the styling will look vulgar;
- “Malvina” - the upper strands are gathered at the back, where the tiara is attached. The lower part is left loose, straightened with an iron or curled with tongs or curlers;
- A voluminous bun on the crown, at the bottom of the head, or a “shell”. They look royal when paired with a luxurious tiara;
- Light backcombing from the roots, covered with curls drawn away from the frontal or temporal area. The tiara is secured at the base of the comb.
If you want something unusual, create the effect of slight negligence. Backcomb the top of your head, and then style your curls as if they had just been tousled by a light breeze. This wedding hairstyle is suitable for self-confident and temperamental brides. In this case, the hair can be straight or curled with curlers.
For medium hair
Styling options for medium-length hair are selected depending on its type and thickness. Medium length hair is usually made into a bun. It is located below, on the crown or in the back of the head. A few curly or straight curls are left in the front to add a flirty touch to the look.
For medium hair decorated with a tiara, you should not choose overly elaborate and complex hairstyles so as not to create a vulgar image.
Suitable for medium length hair:
- braids in different variations , for example, openwork braids - look elegant at medium length and retain their shape throughout the day. Braiding goes well with bangs and a narrow tiara;
- “shell” emphasizes the elegance and femininity of the wedding look;
- a bow made of straight curls looks flirty and original, but only a tiara-rim is in harmony with it;
- “Babette” and “cold waves” are an option for self-confident women;
- curls on the top of the head that beautifully frame the face.
You can curl your curls in different directions - horizontal, diagonal or vertical. They should never be combed. The curls are separated into strands by hand and then mixed with the rest of the hair. To keep your wedding hairstyle longer, use a small amount of hairspray.
For short
Short-haired brides should not be upset that it is difficult to choose a wedding hairstyle with a tiara.
There is plenty to choose from:
- Get a fashionable bob haircut from a professional hairdresser. Any tiara will go with it. On the eve of the wedding ceremony, it is recommended to curl your hair in curlers or make a voluminous backcomb;
- If the length is not suitable for a haircut, the hair can be effectively styled and decorated with an openwork tiara;
- If desired, use hairpieces or extensions.
Advice! For a sleek short hairstyle with an elegant tiara, you will need additional jewelry - dainty earrings or a modest but elegant necklace.
Almost all short haircuts are decorated not only with a tiara. A light, airy veil will perfectly complement your wedding look.
Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
Wedding date: November 29, 1934
Marina of Greece and Denmark, Duchess of Kent is a Greek princess from the Glucksburg family. Through her mother, Elena Vladimirovna, she was the great-granddaughter of Russian Emperor Alexander II, and having married George, the son of King George V of Great Britain and Mary of Teck, she became the aunt of Elizabeth II.
For her wedding in 1934, Princess Marina wore a dress from British fashion designer Edward Molino and a diamond piece from the family treasury - the Vladimir Frange Tiara. It repeats the shape of the traditional Russian headdress - kokoshnik.
The tiara belonged to Princess Mary's grandmother, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (née Mecklenburg-Schwerin). She received the tiara in 1874 in honor of her wedding to Prince Vladimir Alexandrovich, the third son of Alexander II. Later, Maria Pavlovna gave the decoration to her daughter Elena, who presented it to Princess Marina. The tiara is often confused with the Kentish Frange Tiara, which Marina received from the City of London in honor of her wedding.
Princess Elizabeth, future Queen Elizabeth II, on her wedding day
Queen Elizabeth II
Wedding date: November 20, 1947
On her wedding day to Philip Mountbatten, Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth II, wore the diamond frange tiara that belonged to her grandmother Mary of Teck. Originally it was not a tiara at all, but a necklace. Queen Victoria gave it as a wedding gift to Mary of Teck, who married her son George V in 1893.
In 1919, the Queen Consort turned to Garrard jewelers with a request to transform the necklace into a tiara. In 1936, she gave the jewelry to her daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. She also lent the tiara to her daughter, Elizabeth II, on her wedding day. The latter's only daughter, Princess Anne, wore the same tiara to her own celebration in 1973.
Elizabeth II wedding tiara by Garrard
The kokoshnik-shaped tiara consists of 47 “spikes” of different heights, decorated with diamonds. It is known that the tiara unexpectedly broke on the wedding day of Elizabeth II. However, fortunately, on the day of the celebration, a jeweler at the royal court was able to quickly repair the jewelry.
In 2022, the same tiara was worn for the first time in many years by another bride - the granddaughter of Elizabeth II, Princess Beatrice. By marrying Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, she also received the right to wear her famous grandmother’s dress, although not her wedding dress. This was immediately regarded as a signal of the queen’s special attitude.
Wedding of Princess Margaret, Elizabeth II's younger sister
Princess Margaret
Wedding date: May 6, 1960
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, was the younger and only sister of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1960, she married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones. For the celebration, the princess wore the Poltimore tiara. The peculiarity of the decoration is that it was not provided to the bride from the royal treasury - the tiara, created in the 1870s by Garrard craftsmen for Lady Florence Poltimore, was purchased by Princess Margaret for herself.
This tiara was the epitome of Victorian jewelry style. It consisted of diamond curls imitating flowers and playing on the motifs of nature. The back of the decoration is lined with brown velvet, matching the color of the bride's hair. The technique was supposed to create the effect that the decoration was literally floating above the head, like a halo. The tiara was collapsible and could be transformed into a necklace or 11 brooches.
Princess Margaret Wedding Tiara by Garrard
The tiara, of course, became famous as Princess Margaret's wedding accessory. But the scandalous photograph taken by the princess’s husband brought her real fame. The shot shows a naked Countess of Snowdon sitting in a bathtub filled with water, wearing only luxurious jewelry.
Princess Margaret died in 2002, and four years later her heirs decided to sell her jewelry collection, including her wedding tiara. “People die, but taxes must be paid,” the princess’s son explained his decision. The tiara was eventually sold for $1.7 million.
Catherine, Duchess of Kent, on her wedding day
Catherine, Duchess of Kent
Wedding date: June 8, 1961
Catherine Worsley, daughter of the Baronet of Hovingham, became Duchess of Kent by marrying the Queen's cousin, Prince Edward. For the wedding, the bride wore an Art Deco tiara with diamonds and pearls, which was given to her by her mother-in-law, Princess Marina (described above). She also, in turn, received jewelry from her husband’s mother, Maria Tekskaya, who ordered jewelry from Garrard in 1925.
After the wedding, the tiara appeared several times on Catherine Worsley's head, but then disappeared from view. The Duchess began to appear in public wearing similar jewelry with pearls and diamonds. This gave rise to rumors that the Duchess's wedding tiara was simply repurposed into a new piece. It was then worn by several other close family members.
Wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles
Wedding tiara of Princess Sofia of Sweden
Swedish Princess Sofia is a girl of the people. That's why she didn't have any jewelry of her own. But the groom's parents, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Queen Silvia, corrected this.
On the eve of the wedding, they gave Sofia a tiara with emeralds and diamonds. The tiara was created especially for Sofia.
Princess Diana
Wedding date: July 29, 1981
The daughter-in-law of Elizabeth II, who married her eldest son and heir to the throne, Prince Charles, was from the aristocratic Spencer family and therefore wore the family tiara for her celebration. According to legend, the decoration dates back to the 18th century. But its history can actually only be traced back to about 1919. Then Princess Diana's great-grandmother Sarah Spencer presented the tiara's centerpiece as a wedding gift to Lady Cynthia Hamilton, who was marrying her son Albert Spencer, Viscount Althorp. In the future, he became the grandfather of Princess Diana.
In the 1930s, the jewelry house Garrard gave the tiara its modern look - now it consists of soft, lavishly diamond-set scrolls and precious flowers. It is believed that other pieces from Sarah Spencer's collection were used to create the modern tiara. Princess Diana was very fond of the family jewelry and throughout her life she repeatedly wore it to official events. But, of course, she was far from the only representative of the Spencer family who wore jewelry to her wedding. They also included, for example, both of Princess Diana's older sisters, Sarah and Jane, as well as model Victoria Lockwood, who married Diana's brother Charles.
Wedding of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew
Tips for matching a tiara with a dress
A wedding dress is considered the highlight of a girl’s image. The right combination of tiara and dress style will help create a complete and harmonious look. The following practical tips will help:
- if there are Swarovski crystals on the dress, you should take care of their presence on the tiara;
- with a tight-fitting dress, you should pay attention to a tiara with straight lines or a geometric pattern;
- a white wedding dress with pearl decor looks great with a silver tiara;
- and the ivory-colored style combines stunningly with golden-colored jewelry;
- if the girl’s dress is champagne-colored, then a tiara in golden shades is suitable, as well as a model with pearlescent, dark details.
If the bride has chosen a short, modern dress, then neither a tiara nor a tiara should be worn, since such a detail is ideal for dresses of a slightly different cut and style. However, a wedding tiara can become perhaps the most important detail of a modern bride’s image, regardless of age or social status in society.
Sarah, Duchess of York
Wedding date: July 23, 1986
Sarah Ferguson is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, who is the son of Elizabeth II and the younger brother of Prince Charles. The wedding of the couple, who had known each other since childhood, took place in the summer of 1986. Since the bride was not an aristocrat, she did not have a family tiara to follow the traditions and wear it to her own celebration. Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip gave her a completely new piece of jewelry for her wedding day.
The tiara with intricately intertwined leaves made of platinum encrusted with diamonds was created by jewelers from the London firm Garrard. According to some reports, the tiara comes with a bracelet, earrings and a necklace. The decoration remained Fergie's only tiara (as she was popularly called). She wore it to celebrations several times.
Wedding of Serena, Countess of Snowdon
Wedding tiara of Queen Mathilde of Belgium
In the treasury of Queen Mathilde of Belgium, a tiara called “Laurel Wreath” occupies a special place. This is a memorable decoration. The tiara was given to Mathilde for her wedding by Belgian aristocrats as a sign of respect.
“Laurel wreath” is an ancient tiara. It was created by jewelers Hennel & Sons in 1912. The tiara can also be worn as a necklace.
Serena Armstrong-Jones, Countess of Snowdon
Wedding date: October 8, 1993
For her wedding to Princess Margaret's son and Elizabeth II's nephew, David Armstrong-Jones, aristocrat Serena Stanhope wore the Lotus Flower tiara. The jewelry did not belong to the bride; her mother-in-law lent it to her during the celebration.
This piece was originally not a tiara, but an Egyptian-style necklace made by Garrard jewelers. Prince Albert (the future King George VI) gave it to his bride Elizabeth Bowes Lyon in 1923. The necklace was later turned into a tiara. Although it was designed to sit high on the head, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon preferred to wear it along the hairline, as was fashionable in her time.
In 1959, the Queen Mother gave the tiara to her youngest daughter before her wedding. But, as described above, Margaret chose to wear a different piece of jewelry for the celebration. After the death of the princess, the “Lotus Flower,” unlike the wedding tiara, which her descendants sold at auction, ended up in the treasury of Buckingham Palace. That's why it was able to appear on Serena Stanhope's head on her wedding day.
Wedding of Lady Sarah Chatto
Is it possible to combine a veil and a wedding tiara?
Many brides today choose a tiara as an accessory instead of a veil. But in order to create a chic and royal look, you can use both of these decorations at once. Nothing will help you emphasize tenderness and chic at the same time as the combination of a wedding tiara and veil.
Regardless of whether the veil is long or short, the tiara will fit perfectly into your look. You just need to choose the perfect accessory. We invite you to look at photos of wedding tiaras in combination with a veil and evaluate how suitable this tandem is for you.
Lady Sarah Chatto
Wedding date: July 14, 1994
For her wedding, Princess Margaret's daughter Lady Sarah Chatto wore the Snowdon Flower Tiara, a completely new piece of jewelry that had never been worn by any member of the British royal family before. The fact is that the tiara was made literally on the eve of the wedding from three brooches that belonged to the bride’s mother. Their husband Antony Armstrong-Jones presented them to Princess Margaret on the occasion of her wedding. She wore them for many years (and even after the divorce) as decorations for her dresses and hair.
Before Sarah Chatto's wedding in 1994, the brooch was seen by designer Jasper Conran, who was creating a wedding dress for the bride. It was he who suggested taking the brooches donated by Sarah’s father and combining them into a tiara. Princess Margaret gave the go-ahead. The jewelry work was entrusted to Wartski craftsmen.
Wedding of Sophie, Countess of Wessex
Sophie, Countess of Wessex
Wedding date: June 19, 1999
Sophie Rhys-Jones, the wife of Prince Edward, who is the youngest son of Elizabeth II, cannot boast of a noble origin. That is why, on the couple’s wedding day in the summer of 1999, the British monarch had to provide the bride with a tiara herself. Sophie of Wessex received a brand new piece of jewelry made from the family jewels of the British royal family.
It is known that it included items that belonged to Queen Victoria. After her wedding, the Countess was seen wearing the same tiara several times. In particular, she wore it to other royal weddings. Several years ago the tiara was modernized. The work was carried out by the jewelry company G. Collins & Sons.
Wedding of Autumn Kelly and Peter Philipps
Princess Eugenie of York's wedding tiara
Weddings are associated with white diamonds. But Princess Beatrice of York thinks differently. She got married wearing the Boucheron tiara with green emeralds and pink diamonds.
This kokoshnik tiara was created in 1919 for Margaret Greville, a wealthy socialite who was friends with the British royal family.
Margaret Greville had a huge collection of jewelry. She bequeathed all the jewelry (more than 60 pieces!) to Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
Autumn Kelly
Wedding date: May 17, 2008
In May 2008, the beautiful Autumn Kelly married Peter Philipps, the son of Princess Anne and grandson of Elizabeth II. Obviously, the daughter-in-law really liked the only daughter of the British queen. Otherwise, she would not have lent her one of her favorite tiaras, the Festoon tiara, for her wedding. Princess Anne herself received it as a gift for her own wedding in 1973 from the Society of Shipwrights and then repeatedly wore it to special occasions over the decades.
Wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William
Wedding tiara of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
The groom of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden was simple-minded - an ordinary fitness trainer. But her wedding tiara was incredibly luxurious and legendary. The fact is that this decoration once belonged to Empress Josephine herself.
The tiara was created by the personal jeweler of Emperor Napoleon I. The tiara is inlaid with pearls and decorated with seven cameos with images of mythological gods, including Cupid.
How did the tiara of the French Empress Josephine end up in Sweden? It’s very simple: the granddaughter of Napoleon I, Josephine of Leuchtenberg, married the Swedish king Oscar I - and brought the tiara with her.
Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge
Wedding date: April 29, 2011
The favorite of British citizens, the Duchess of Cambridge Kate married Princess Diana's eldest son, Prince William, in the spring of 2011. In honor of this celebration, Queen Elizabeth II took out a special tiara for the bride from the royal treasury.
We are talking about the “Nimbus” tiara from Cartier. In 1936, the father of the current British queen, George VI, ordered this jewelry from jewelers for his wife, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. The tiara contains 739 round-cut diamonds and 149 baguette-cut diamonds. Together, these stones seem to form a halo above the head of the woman who wears the tiara.
Kate Middleton's wedding tiara
King George VI and the Queen Mother gave this jewelry to their eldest daughter Elizabeth II when she turned 18. True, her younger sister Margaret wore it more often. It was this tiara that was on the head of the “reserve princess” when the coronation of Elizabeth II took place. Also before Kate Middleton, the jewelry was worn several times by the Queen's daughter, Princess Anne.
Zara and Mike Tindall's wedding
Zara Tindall
Wedding date: July 30, 2011
Princess Anne's only daughter Zara wore the diamond Meander Tiara when she married England rugby captain Mike Tindall. The Grecian-style piece is truly unique to the royal family because it does not come from the Windsor collection - it is the only tiara in the treasury that originally belonged to the family of Prince Philip, Elizabeth II's husband.
The prince received the tiara from his mother, Princess Alice. She probably received the piece as a wedding gift to Prince Andrew of Greece in 1903 (hence the Greek motifs in the design). However, the tiara first began to appear in portraits only in 1914, so its early history remains not entirely clear.
Alice loved this tiara very much and wore it for many years. In 1947, she gave the jewelry to her daughter-in-law, Elizabeth II, in honor of her marriage to her son. However, the Queen of Great Britain has never worn the tiara in public. It eventually passed into the collection of her only daughter, Princess Anne. She willingly wears the tiara to various events. In honor of her daughter's wedding, the princess lent the family jewel to Zara.
Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Wedding tiara of Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
Before her marriage to the heir to the Danish throne, Crown Prince Frederik, the current Princess Mary was simply the daughter of a professor. To emphasize her new status, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark presented her daughter-in-law with a family jewel - a tiara with diamonds.
Mary went to the altar in it. And then she wore the tiara many more times.
The most beautiful royal wedding tiaras was last modified: July 27, 2022 by Nastasya Garina
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex
Wedding date: May 19, 2022
Probably the most famous royal bride of recent years is the Hollywood TV star Meghan Markle, who in 2022 married Princess Diana's youngest son, Prince Harry. Since the Hollywood starlet, now the Duchess of Sussex, cannot boast of an aristocratic pedigree, she, like many other brides of members of the British royal family, had to borrow a tiara from the Queen's treasury. And Meghan Markle surprised the whole world with her choice.
The tiara she chose to wear at her own wedding was kept out of sight for many years by the queen's subjects and the rest of the world. A platinum bandeau in the Art Deco style was created in 1932 by jewelers from the Garrard house for Elizabeth II’s grandmother, Mary of Teck. She was a passionate lover of jewelry and ordered a tiara to “attach” an old diamond brooch. We are talking about the jewelry that she received in 1893 as a gift for her wedding to the Prince of York (the future King George V) from the County of Lincoln.
Garrard created a tiara with 11 movable sections, which allows it to be adjusted to any hairstyle and head size. The bandeau is generously decorated with diamonds of various sizes. The same Lincoln brooch, which was a flower of 10 large precious stones, was placed in the center by the jewelers and made removable so that Mary of Teck could wear it separately, as before.
But either the queen didn’t like the bandeau, or she had too much jewelry, Mary of Teck wore the jewelry only once during her entire reign. After her death in 1953, Elizabeth II inherited the jewelry, but she did not wear the tiara either. As a result, the luxurious jewelry ended up in “storerooms” for many years.
Princess Eugenie on her wedding day
