Catherine Middleton's Wedding Tiara: Suggestions and Musings


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What Tiara will Catherine wear on her Wedding Day?

  • The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

    Votes: 8 4.8%
  • The Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara

    Votes: 19 11.5%
  • The Queen Mother's Scroll Tiara

    Votes: 9 5.5%
  • The Strathmore Rose Tiara

    Votes: 51 30.9%
  • The Spencer Tiara

    Votes: 7 4.2%
  • The Fringe Tiara (aka George III Fringe Tiara)

    Votes: 11 6.7%
  • The Rundell Diamond Tiara

    Votes: 7 4.2%
  • Something that has been hidden in the Vaults!

    Votes: 33 20.0%
  • The Middletons will buy her a new one

    Votes: 9 5.5%
  • Nothing. She will either wear a jewelry clip or flowers in her hair.

    Votes: 9 5.5%
  • None of the Above

    Votes: 2 1.2%

  • Total voters
    165
  • Poll closed .
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The ladies of England is completely different than Maud's pearl and diamond tiara. The center piece in Maud's tiara comes out but the L of E doesn't but the L of E can be worn as a necklace as seen here. Mary also wore it across the top of her dress here.
It came with matching earrings which are the ones Queen Elizabeth wears for her daytime events.
 
Bently & Skinner

Bentley & Skinner

Wonder if the Middletons have this one "On Approval" as it has been Temporarily Withdrawn?????


I was wondering the same thing! However, IF it is the Middletons or TRF, I would think B&S would take the item off the website.
 
I must do more research, but this does not seem possible as the Ladies of England Tiara was given to Queen Mary by the Ladies of England. Sylistically they are similar but just from the listed history they cannot be one in the same. Maud's tiara was presented to her by Edward VII and Alexandra...

AR
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Aestheticus Rex: A Tale of Tiara's: What will the Queen bestow upon Kate Middleton?


Could the slight differences be due to the original version was stolen from Garrard's in 1993? I read (somewhere or other) Garrard's made a new one with pearls and diamonds that looked like the ones from the original tiara.
 
Could the slight differences be due to the original version was stolen from Garrard's in 1993? I read (somewhere or other) Garrard's made a new one with pearls and diamonds that looked like the ones from the original tiara.
I don't think so. I read somewhere that luckily there was very good documentation of what the original tiara looked like, so that Garrard's could make a precise copy. Here is a comparision between Queen Maud with her tiara and Queen Mary with the LoE: http://inlinethumb17.webshots.com/9296/2998732180105578647S600x600Q85.jpg
The centre of Queen Maud's tiara looks the same as today's version worn by Queen Sonja, and it looks very different from the LoE.
Also there is no possible explanation how the LoE could have ended up as a wedding gift for Queen Maud. Both tiaras were wedding presents and if Wikipedia is correct than Queen Maud married only 3 years after Queen Mary. But on the photo with the LoE Queen Mary already has grey hair, so that picture must have been taken years after Queen Maud received her own tiara at her wedding.

We must not forget that every rich Lady of that age wore tiaras, they were part of the fashion. Popular designs were copied and juwellers made variations of already existing designs. The best example is the fringe design which was so popular that it is is still very difficult to keep the various fringe tiaras apart.
 
If the Strathmore is in as bad shape as has been suggested (and the diamonds aren't as sparkly since they are cut the old-fashioned way), I think the Scroll is a real condender since it's been seen relatively recently (in the galacial Palace way of time moving) and is beautiful, sparkly, not associated with any one person (since it's been photographed on both Margaret and Anne in the past 50-60 years) and suitable for a young bride.

The fact that Margaret and Anne wore it and the Queen Mother wore it when she was Duchess of York gives it more of a spare feel. So I think it would go to Harry's future wife to wear.

I believe that Kate will get the bigger pieces one day. Like the Queen's current favorite or the tiara with the loops in it. I believe it has a Russian name. Sorry I can't remember the names:bang:

As for the wedding I think the Fringe has some history to make it viable but not so much that it is associated with one person.
 
I firmly believe that when the Queen jiggy's into zombieworld, that the Girls of GB tiara will left for Kate, and that the other major pieces(kokoshnik, vladimir, etc,) will be for Camilla. As for the Cambridge Knot, though it wld make a lovely bridal tiara, I'm actually thinking that Harry's wife will be getting that tiara(on loan of course). You know, Wills gets the ring, Harry gets the tiara. I just have no idea now what Kate will wear on her wedding day, though the Fringe makes more and more sense to me. I really don't see the Strathmore being used as a regular tiara anymore, at least not for Kate.
 
I believe that Kate will get the bigger pieces one day. Like the Queen's current favorite or the tiara with the loops in it. I believe it has a Russian name. Sorry I can't remember the names:bang:

I think you mean the Vladimir? The tiara which can be worn with either pearl or cabochon emerald drops?
 
I think you mean the Vladimir? The tiara which can be worn with either pearl or cabochon emerald drops?

Yes thank you! I was referring to the tiaras that Kate might get to wear in the future. Although Princejohnny25 made some good points about the tiaras Camilla might get.
I agree with you about Harry's future wife as well. Kate is likely to get to wear a lot of the Queen's tiaras so it would be nice if Harry's wife got the Cambridge piece. It is historical but given that it was most noticeably worn by Diana, it might stay with one of her children.
 
Most of the tiaras worn by The Queen are bequests from Queen Mary or were created using gems that were state gifts. These pieces are highly likely to have been designated by Queen Mary in her Will as belonging to the Crown to be worn in right of it, while The Queen has probably done the same in her Will with the newer creations.

I would predict these tiaras will remain with the Crown to be worn only by a Queen or Queen Consort.
 
Which brings up the whole Princess Consort bit.
 
what events other then the wedding will be the first events we my see some jewllery with a history.
will there be any dinner the days before the wedding?
 
My Catherine is a Swan :wub:..i wanna see more jools of darling Diana around her divine neck and wrists..i'm gonna die if she wears Di's wedding dress n' shoes n' that absolutely glorious veil :heart2:..no kiddin, i'll be in awe for the rest of my life! :heart: :in_love:
 
Most of the tiaras worn by The Queen are bequests from Queen Mary or were created using gems that were state gifts. These pieces are highly likely to have been designated by Queen Mary in her Will as belonging to the Crown to be worn in right of it, while The Queen has probably done the same in her Will with the newer creations.

I would predict these tiaras will remain with the Crown to be worn only by a Queen or Queen Consort.

Had not thought of that. Then again the Queen or Queen Consort could always "loan" out the pieces depending on how strict the rules are. As for the Princess Consort bit I believe legally she will be Queen Consort so I think that is how they will get around those rules.
 
We'll see. In a family famous for the whole 'Dont sit in that chair Queen Victoria last sat in it', etc I doubt that they would completely flout Q Vicoria's and Q Mary's wills. The will says 'to be worn by future Queens, in right of it'.
 
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Technically, anything designated as belonging to the Crown to be worn in right of it by a Queen or Queen Consort means those pieces would not be lent or passed on to a member of the royal family. Nonetheless, the jewels belong to The Sovereign as their personal property and they can do whatever they wish.

The Queen is highly unlikely to offer up any surprises for Catherine and if she is given a tiara, it is very likely to be the Lover's Knot or a smaller piece as previously discussed here.
 
Good points made about the will. The Queen seems very traditional in that regard. She also seems very stingy with her jewels. I wonder why? I don't expect an off loading of her jewels right away. I believe that she will wait a while.

I suspect Kate might get a loaner for the wedding day. That is one of the reasons why I think it will be the Fringe. She will have no need for a tiara like Diana did because there does not appear to be an immediate push for her to become a full-time working member of the family. I just hope the Lover's Knot goes to Harry and Kate gets something else.
 
Was Queen Mary's Emerald Stomacher passed along to another member of the family or is this still within the royal vaults? Are there any shots of the QM or HM wearing it?
 
Hello fellow forum followers: I'm new to the forums, but not new to royalty-watching.

IMHO, it seems that, rather than being stingy as has been suggested, The Queen is very much a traditionalist at heart, especially in matters of royal prerogatives.

Since the queens who preceded her back to Victoria kept the jewelry collection together until it was time to distribute after their deaths, AND since both Victoria and Mary made distributions privately and to the Crown collection, I suspect that QE II will do the same.

And the most important jewels that she has loaned have primarily been to the wife of her next in line: first Diana was given some good jewelry, which were loans, and now Camilla seems to have the Delhi Durbar at her disposal which MUST be in the crown collection, and she has worn the Boucheron tiara AND the fabulous Greville five-string diamond necklace given to QE the QM and left by her to QE II.

Certainly no one else in the Royal Family has worn the truly important gems other than the Queen, the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. I certainly doubt that it is due to the Queen's personal preference or to stingyness, but most likely has to do with the appropriateness of having the truly important jewels being worn outside of the direct line of succession.

Weighing further on this topic, unless the Middletons buy her a tiara, Catherine will no doubt be loaned something good for her wedding, in recognition that she is to be the wife of the heir's direct heir. If my logic is correct, and tiara-wearing has symbolism and connotes a quiet statement made by the Queen, the tiara loaned to Catherine will likely not be one that has been worn outside the direct line of succession (or the consort thereof). The one exception to this was that, for her wedding, the Pr. Royal wore the fringe tiara that her mother wore for her own wedding.

I found it interesting that for Margaret, Sarah and Sophie, NEW tiaras were bought/made, despite all of those in the queen's possession... There must, therefore, be some special tradition or consideration attached to those in the Crown collection and those that were bequeathed personally to The Queen. Otherwise, wouldn't it have been more like the typically frugal Queen to have just reached into her collection for these pieces?

If they are eventually sold (like Margaret's Poltimore), there will be no royal tradition to be flouted, as there was when some of Victoria's pieces were sold by other heirs. The Queen has added little to the collection (other than state gifts), but I suspect that she will choose to keep the bulk of her personal collection together for direct heirs to the throne, other than small gifts to her other grandchildren, nieces and nephews, most of whom will never have the need to wear a tiara. Perhaps Harry's wife will get a tiara, and some good pieces, for he, like the Princess Royal in her generation, will probably remain in active royal duty.

Again, just one royal watcher's opinion!
 
Hello fellow forum followers: I'm new to the forums, but not new to royalty-watching...
IMHO, it seems that, rather than being stingy as has been suggested, The Queen is very much a traditionalist at heart, especially in matters of royal prerogatives.

...Certainly no one else in the Royal Family has worn the truly important gems other than the Queen, the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. I certainly doubt that it is due to the Queen's personal preference or to stingyness, but most likely has to do with the appropriateness of having the truly important jewels being worn outside of the direct line of succession. ...

I agree. The Queen, more than most of her household even I would bet, knows how tradition and protocol dictate the selection of a tiara in this instance. She may have offered a choice to Catherine, but of carefully selected pieces.

Personally, I'm rather hoping that as Prince William and Catherine have been together so long, the Queen has been quietly having some of the jewelry (including tiaras) in the vaults cleaned and repaired that she has chosen not to wear herself, or offered to the Duchess of Cornwall. You know, for the time the engagement was announced and wedding plans began.

She may even have had a new tiara made (perhaps ala the Countess of Wessex, from older pieces) that will be part of the Royal Collection, but specifically to be loaned to Catherine.

I can't wait to see it all on the big day!
 
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...and now Camilla seems to have the Delhi Durbar at her disposal which MUST be in the crown collection...
To the best of my knowledge the Delhi Durbar Diadem hasn't been formally given to the Crown Collection and remains the personal and private property of HM.
 
Delhi Durbar

That was an assumption on my part. Thanks for the correction.

So, then none of the pieces loaned to Camilla are crown pieces... Hmmm. Even more interesting. They are certainly important pieces, but she doesn't get the use of crown pieces until the accession of the POW...

I am certainly convinced that there is no accident in the Queen's preferences in the loans/gifts she makes, but that there is a concept/tradition that she follows.

Warren, do you know if the Cambridge Lover's Knot that Diana was loaned was from the Crown collection, or was it given to her personally? I think I remember that it belonged to Queen Mary.
 
Well it is very exciting all this speculation but as has been said the day is fast approaching and it will be amazing to see what the fonal outcome will be.
I have no idea which will be chosen or that she will chose I imagine it will all come down to her gown but I am hoping she will wear her hair up to maximize the impact of the ancient heirlooms.
 
indure

I wonder which of Diana's jewels we'll start seeing in the near future!

none we hope

when I married I called the King of Oman from the office of Cartier (mind you we never had any odd ideas of each other) but be prepared for a long bill for people thinking they can bill whatever they want - stealing from the Arab world, most of the jewels come from there after South Africa at one point and turkai too among others :previous:
 
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none we hope

when I married I called the King of Oman from the office of Cartier (mind you we never had any odd ideas of each other) but be prepared for a long bill for people thinking they can bill whatever they want - stealing from the Arab world, most of the jewels come from there after South Africa at one point and turkai too among others :previous:

Please clarify.... What are you talking about? :ermm:
 
Warren, do you know if the Cambridge Lover's Knot that Diana was loaned was from the Crown collection, or was it given to her personally? I think I remember that it belonged to Queen Mary.
Yes, it was made for Queen Mary in 1914 as copy of the tiara owned by her aunt Grand Duchess Augusta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Augusta's tiara was originally made for her mother, Augusta of Hesse, when she married the Duke of Cambridge in 1818. The lovers' knot (or bow-knot) tiara design is not unique - there are (were) about half a dozen tiaras of near-identical design throughout the Gotha.

According to Suzy Menkes in "The Royal Jewels" there are just two tiaras which are currently designated as Crown property: the Diamond Diadem of George IV and the Brilliant Regal Tiara, aka the Indian Circlet, a favourite of the late Queen Mother. Both were left to the Crown by Queen Victoria and none have been added since.
Thus the thirty-plus tiaras thought to be held in the vaults beneath Buckingham Palace are the personal and private property of HM.
 
:previous:
Thank you for the information, this was very interesting.
 
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Jewels for Kate

I have been thinking that the Queen's South African diamonds (that she received for her 21st birthday) would look great on Kate! Elegant necklace and a good size for her.
 
I pray she gets her own tiara. I think the lover's knot should go back to the vault. She has Di's engagement ring and is compared to her a lot. I think the girl needs something that is hers.

I would love to know what is in the vaults!

I have to say, I love a lot of Princess Anne's tiara's. I wish those would go back to the crown. I also wish the Portmore didn't have to be sold. How beautiful.
 
Thank you, Warren! The breadth of your knowledge is amazing! Since there are so few in the crown collection, my theory about how HM will decide is likely without foundation and so is just speculation. It will be interesting to see what Catherine is given, which may give a hint as to how HM thinks about all of this...
 
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