Being royal certainly has its perks when it comes to accessorizing. The royal Windsor family has got to have the best collection of jewelry in the entire world. Here we look at some of the most famous, and most stunning, tiaras that the royal family has worn throughout the years. These tiaras are all so fancy, we can’t decide which one we like best!
1. The Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara
The Lover’s Knot tiara, which is often referred to as the Cambridge, was a favorite of Diana, Princess of Wales, pictured above wearing it. The Lover’s Knot tiara was created for Queen Mary in 1914 by the House of Garrad. The tiara was modeled after a headpiece Queen Mary’s grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse, wore. However, Princess Augusta’s original Lover’s Knot crown is currently thought to be held in an unknown private collection.
The Lover’s Knot tiara was created with 19 baroque pearls and rose-cut diamonds, which are set in a series of heart-shaped knots. Queen Mary sacrificed a tiara from her own personal jewelry collection, The Ladies of England Tiara, to make the Lover’s Knot Tiara.
After Queen Mary died in 1953, the Lover’s Knot Tiara was passed to her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth has worn the crown on many occasions, especially throughout the 1950s. In 1981 she loaned the Tiara to Princess Diana, who didn’t wear the headpiece on her wedding day but it quickly became one of her favorite accessories. When Diana and Charles divorced, Diana returned the crown to Queen Elizabeth.
After Diana passed away in 1997, The Lover’s Knot Tiara was not publicly seen until 2015 when it was worn by the current Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. Since then, Kate has worn the Lover’s Knot Tiara on a number of different occasions.
2. Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara
The Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara was one of the most colorful tiaras owned by Queen Elizabeth. In 1953, the Brazilian president gave Queen Elizabeth a lavish necklace and earring set on behalf of the Brazilian people to commemorate her coronation. The necklace and matching earrings featured very large aquamarine stones and diamonds. In 1957, Queen Elizabeth commissioned Garrad to create a tiara to match the pieces.
The crown continued to evolve thanks to Brazilian state officials. In 1958, Queen Elizabeth was gifted with an aquamarine bracelet and brooch to complete her set. Then in 1968 when Queen Elizabeth made her first state visit to Brazil, the Governor of São Paulo gave her an aquamarine and diamond hair ornament. In 1971, the gemstones from this hair ornament were used to super-size the aquamarine tiara. The Aquamarine Tiara was one of the tallest tiaras in the Queen’s collection.
3. Burmese Ruby Tiara
The Burmese Ruby Tiara is another one of Queen Elizabeth’s jaw-dropping tiaras, made from diamonds and rubies. Queen Elizabeth commissioned the Burmese Ruby Tiara to the House of Garrad in 1973. The rubies were given to Queen Elizabeth as a marriage gift from the people of Burma.
A total of 96 rubies are mounted on the tiara. These 96 rubies were a symbolic gesture, as rubies in the Burmese culture protect people from illness and evil. The rubies in this crown are extremely rare and were banned in the United States during the presidency of George W. Bush.
4. Cartier Halo Crown
Kate Middleton’s halo crown that she wore during her wedding to Prince William has become one of the most iconic tiaras of all time. The tiara comprising 888 diamonds (739-brilliant cut diamonds and 149 baguette diamonds) was lent to Kate by Queen Elizabeth and was seen by millions of people around the world.
The Cartier Halo Tiara was commissioned in 1936 by George VI for his wife, three weeks before he became king. In 1944, Queen Elizabeth was gifted the Cartier Halo Tiara on her 18th birthday, but has never been seen wearing it in public. However, Queen Elizabeth’s sister Princess Margaret, and The Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne, have both publicly worn the tiara.
5. Spencer Tiara
Although the Spencer Tiara is an heirloom in Diana Spencer’s family, it was first globally debuted during Diana and Charles’s wedding on July 29, 1981. The Spencer Tiara was first assembled in the 1930s by Garrad, using several gifts that had been bestowed on the Spencer family over the years.
The Spencer Tiara wasn’t just worn at Diana’s wedding, rather, she continued to wear it at formal events during her time as the Princess of Wales. Some speculate that Diana preferred the Spencer Tiara to the Lover’s Knot Tiara because it was a much lighter crown, but others have speculated that the Spencer Tiara’s popularity with Diana was a way in which she attempted to express her own individuality and identity in the Royal Family.
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When Queen Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947, Queen Mary decided to gift her granddaughter The Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara as a wedding gift. Reportedly, Elizabeth continued to call the diadem “Granny’s Tiara” because it was gifted to her by her grandmother. Queen Elizabeth kept the Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara in constant rotation during her reign, and in more recent years it was one of the only crowns she regularly wore.
7. Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara
Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara has been a staple piece in many royal weddings, including Queen Elizabeth II’s. Fringe tiaras first gained popularity in the imperial court of the Romanovs in Russia, but they also gained prominence in England. Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara was created in 1919 by Garrad. The tiara is made of diamonds that are set in gold and silver.
Queen Mary gave her tiara to her daughter-in-law in 1936, and then Queen Elizabeth loaned the crown to her daughter Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) for her wedding to Prince Phillip in 1947. However, on the day of Princess Elizabeth’s wedding, the Fringe Tiara snapped when it was placed on the bride’s head. Luckily, a jeweler from Garrad provided Elizabeth with a quick fix, and she was able to wear the tiara for her big day.
In 1973, the Queen Mother loaned the Fringe Tiara to her granddaughter Anne, who wore it during her wedding to Mark Phillips. The Fringe Tiara remained in the Queen Mother’s collection until she passed away in 1972. Queen Elizabeth II occasionally wore it for public events in later years.
8. Queen Mary’s Bandeau Tiara
Meghan Markle chose to wear Queen Mary’s Bandeau Tiara on her wedding day. This bandeau tiara belonged to Queen Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary. The tiara was lent to Meghan Markle by the Queen for her big day.
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The Bandeau Tiara was made in 1932 for Queen Mary. The purpose of the crown was to accommodate the center brooch, which can be clearly seen in the picture above. This brooch was given to the then-Princess Mary in 1893 by the County of Lincoln to commemorate her marriage to Prince George, who would later become King George V.