The Princess of Wales Jewels 2: January 2025 -

[BriarRose]

I guarantee she didn't pick this one herself. This has King Charles written all over it. So in that case, I think it's perfectly fine she wore it.

It's a new dress she likely had made for this event months ago, and I don't think she would have paired that color dress with a ruby tiara normally. So I do think Catherine was asked to wear this tiara somewhat last-minute.

I think there may have been an intention to wear an updo, but it wouldn't have worked without a lot of structural fake hair pieces added in. As much as I personally love Swedish tiara hair, that is not the norm for British royals, and I do think if Catherine showed up last night with massive fake hair pieces she would have been ridiculed mercilessly online. The internet has a creepy obsession with her post-cancer appearance as it is- a giant updo of fake hair would have just fed that.

Personally, I love tiara surprises, and am happy to have seen this one back in action. Given the size issues with modern hair, I'm sad to think we may not see it again for a long time.

 

[Emmily]

In the minority, but I loved this tiara on Catherine.

 

[Lord-of-the-Manor]

I don't think it's a minority opinion. I've read lots of positive comments

 

[doro]

What unexpected

In the minority, but I loved this tiara on Catherine.

She should have a better hair

 

[TLLK]

This is a stunning photo of William and Catherine with the Christmas tree.

I’m still in shock that Catherine is wearing a new to her tiara!! It looks fabulous. The tiara seems well placed to me in this photo. (An earlier photo I’d wondered about the placement.)

Her hair down works to me- though I do like an up-do with tiaras as a first choice. But, she carries it off.

I agree that in this photo the placement seems better.
I wonder if due to the fact that this is a complete circle, is the base not as flexible and adjustable as the tiaras that are a semi-circle?

Here's a great updated article from The Crown Jeweler.

The Princess of Wales Debuts the Indian Circlet at the German State Banquet

Tonight, King Charles III and the British royal family hosted a grand state banquet for the President of Germany at Windsor Castle, with plenty of tiaras and jewels dazzling on the royal ladies in attendance—including

www.thecourtjeweller.com

 

[Stefan]

I prefer the British /Spanish approach and have no issue that certain pieces were/are reserved solely for use of the queen as a sign of continuity from queen to queen.

But this is also the case in NL and Sweden . The Braganza tiara and the leuchtenberg sapphires are only worn by Queens, the same for the Stuart tiara in NL

 

[Mirabel]

I guarantee she didn't pick this one herself. This has King Charles written all over it. So in that case, I think it's perfectly fine she wore it.

That's what I thought, that the choice of tiaras was determined by Charles.
He knew that if Camilla wore the GGB tiara so beloved by the late Queen, it would result in a media frenzy.
So, he deliberately created a diversion!
The next time Camilla wears the GGB will not surprise anyone.

 

[BriarRose]

Catherine didn’t steal the keys to the Royal jewel vault and whisk this tiara out on the middle of the night.

Obviously the King offered the tiara to Catherine. It’s his to lend. I think a lot of “rules” are just preferences of certain monarchs. Because QE II reigned for so long, her preferences just seemed set in stone.

There are plenty of “Queen only” tiaras still in the British vaults. Camilla wore one last night.

 

[muriel]

That's what I thought, that the choice of tiaras was determined by Charles.
He knew that if Camilla wore the GGB tiara so beloved by the late Queen, it would result in a media frenzy.
So, he deliberately created a diversion!
The next time Camilla wears the GGB will not surprise anyone.

Why might a diversion be required? This was the third time Camilla wore the Girls of Great Britain tiara. The first 2 times were in 2023, first at the Guildhall for a reception by the City of London, and the second time was at the 2023 Diplomatic Reception.

 

[taogg]

Judging from the photos with the Crown Jeweller, it seems to me that Catherine’s version looks quite large compared with how it appeared on the late Queen and the Queen Mother. I never thought it was a big tiara when I saw it on either of them. Perhaps it’s simply because Catherine has a longer face shape.

In fact, the Girls tiara also looks large on Camilla, but thanks to her helmet hairstyle, she still carries it well. It seems Catherine doesn’t favour that kind of hairstyle. In the future, if she continues wearing this tiara, I would suggest adjusting the base or even removing one or two of the Mughal arches to make it smaller so it fits her head better.

 

[Saragli]

Catherine didn’t steal the keys to the Royal jewel vault and whisk this tiara out on the middle of the night.

Obviously the King offered the tiara to Catherine. It’s his to lend. I think a lot of “rules” are just preferences of certain monarchs. Because QE II reigned for so long, her preferences just seemed set in stone.

There are plenty of “Queen only” tiaras still in the British vaults. Camilla wore one last night.

The GGBI is actually not an heirloom of the crown, nor a Queen only tiara, it was a gift to the then Princess Mary when she married the future KGV. It was then given by Queen Mary to the then Princess Elizabeth as a wedding gift. We only think of it as a "queen only" tiara because of its strong associations with QEII. Traditionally, the heirlooms of the crown like the Oriental Circlet have been reserved for Queens only but the Sovereign as the end of the day can change things up a little bit. The only thing the Sovereign can't do is sell or gift the heirlooms of the crown away. They must remain sovereign to sovereign.

 

[muriel]

It's a new dress she likely had made for this event months ago, and I don't think she would have paired that color dress with a ruby tiara normally. So I do think Catherine was asked to wear this tiara somewhat last-minute.

Fashion choices can be subjective. I actually do like the pairing of the tiara with the blue dress, and I think it was deliberate. She could have paired it with a maroon or a red gown, but that would have been just too obvious.

 

[Saragli]

Judging from the photos with the Crown Jeweller, it seems to me that Catherine’s version looks quite large compared with how it appeared on the late Queen and the Queen Mother. I never thought it was a big tiara when I saw it on either of them. Perhaps it’s simply because Catherine has a longer face shape.

In fact, the Girls tiara also looks large on Camilla, but thanks to her helmet hairstyle, she still carries it well. It seems Catherine doesn’t favour that kind of hairstyle. In the future, if she continues wearing this tiara, I would suggest adjusting the base or even removing one or two of the Mughal arches to make it smaller so it fits her head better.

The Queen Mother had a famously round face so I think this circular tiara suited that head/face shape really well. I think this tiara would have looked better on the PoW slightly tilted back and firmly placed on her head.

 

[BriarRose]

Thanks Saragli, great info, and that just proved my point. At the end of the day, the current monarch can lend whatever pieces he/she wants to whomever, although they are heirlooms of the Crown, or not. There is no actual law or rule that limits the monarch from doing so. If there is any criticism of who wore what, it should be directed at the King who made the decision.

If the King asks you to wear something, I don't think it would be polite to say no.

 

[PrincessofEurope]

The bottom of the tiara appears to be wrapped in velvet to match Catherine’s hair. I would prob say though I can’t imagine seeing her in this tiara numerous times going forward. It was a definite nod to the German visitors and evidently Camila didn’t want to wear it maybe due to the size

 

[Saragli]

Thanks Saragli, great info, and that just proved my point. At the end of the day, the current monarch can lend whatever pieces he/she wants to whomever, although they are heirlooms of the Crown, or not. There is no actual law or rule that limits the monarch from doing so. If there is any criticism of who wore what, it should be directed at the King who made the decision.

If the King asks you to wear something, I don't think it would be polite to say no.

I was trying to find an exact source, but I can't, but I do think Queen Victoria did say in her will that the heirlooms of the crown should be reserved for Queen's only. But again, that's not law and the PoW is a future Queen so, hey.

 

[PrincessofEurope]

Queen Victoria's Heirlooms of the Crown

One hundred twenty-one years ago today, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom died at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. She left behind an incredible legacy—and a whole lot of royal jewelry. She earmarked

www.thecourtjeweller.com

This is an article regarding the heirlooms of the crown - Catherine has already used the diamond festoon necklace (coronation picture)

 

[Silverpot]

I don't care who wears what, hair up, hair down, the tiara placed a little wonky; the only thing that matters is that we get to see these astonishing pieces at all. It would be so sad for such masterpieces to languish in a dark vault. They were made to sparkle, made to be seen, to impress.

 

[tihkon2]

I don't care who wears what, hair up, hair down, the tiara placed a little wonky; the only thing that matters is that we get to see these astonishing pieces at all. It would be so sad for such masterpieces to languish in a dark vault. They were made to sparkle, made to be seen, to impress.

Amen!

 

[KatieH]

That's what I thought, that the choice of tiaras was determined by Charles.
He knew that if Camilla wore the GGB tiara so beloved by the late Queen, it would result in a media frenzy.
So, he deliberately created a diversion!
The next time Camilla wears the GGB will not surprise anyone.

This is the third time the Queen has worn the GBGI Tiara. Really, there aren't that many conspiracy theories. Ultimately, how jewelry is used is a decision made by the King and Queen, monarchs and their spouses. Currently, it seems that Queen Camilla, like Queen Mary, isn't a big fan of the oriental tiara, so they decided to lend it out. Queen Victoria decided this tiara would be for future queens, but similarly, the current queen could dislike it and decide to lend it to another member of the royal family. Simple

The GGBI is actually not an heirloom of the crown, nor a Queen only tiara, it was a gift to the then Princess Mary when she married the future KGV. It was then given by Queen Mary to the then Princess Elizabeth as a wedding gift. We only think of it as a "queen only" tiara because of its strong associations with QEII. Traditionally, the heirlooms of the crown like the Oriental Circlet have been reserved for Queens only but the Sovereign as the end of the day can change things up a little bit. The only thing the Sovereign can't do is sell or gift the heirlooms of the crown away. They must remain sovereign to sovereign.

I think that in this reign, the "Queen's exclusive tiaras" depend on Camilla's personal preferences; she'll keep the ones she likes and lend out the ones she doesn't. Clearly, her approach to jewelry is different from previous Queens.Currently, she seems to favour Belgian sapphires, Burmese rubies, GGBI, and Queen Alexander's Kokoshnik Tiara (and of course, King George IV Diadem).

 

[tommy100]

We've also seen Cams wearing tiaras previously used (in HLM's reign) exclusively by other members of the RF so I don't think the fact Catherine has worn it means Camilla never will (though it is unlikely). What will be interesting to see is if Catherine now adds this to a rotation of tiaras used by her regularly or if this was a rare / one off appearance.

 

[KatieH]

We've also seen Cams wearing tiaras previously used (in HLM's reign) exclusively by other members of the RF so I don't think the fact Catherine has worn it means Camilla never will (though it is unlikely). What will be interesting to see is if Catherine now adds this to a rotation of tiaras used by her regularly or if this was a rare / one off appearance.

If it's a one-time loan, then Camilla will most likely wear it in the future. For example, the necklace Catherine wore at Charles and Camilla's coronation was also the crown jewel, and Camilla wore it in 2024. Her approach to jewelry differed greatly from that of Elizabeth II.

 

[yukari]

No matter whether the Circlet tiara is supposed to br queen-only tiara, I honestly thought Catherine and Camilla should swap their tiara in this occasion. GBBI looked lost in Camilla's hair, while the Circlet looked too big in Catherine's head. I think Catherine's could pull GBBI off better while, as we already know, Camilla has proven that she can pull of big tiara like this Circlet.

 

[Hans-Rickard]

While i love to see that Catherine is allowed to try out a few new tiaras and is not forced to stick with the ones she wore in the previous reign - i am not sure the Oriental Circlet suits her…. On her head it is really shown how big the tiara really is as it doesn’t dissapear in her hair at all like it did with the late QEQM and also during QEII’s only usage of it in 2005…

I applaud her for wearing it and i applaud Charles for allowing her to, but if she wear it again a different hairdo and different placement of the tiara is needed.

 

[MsJulie]

While i love to see that Catherine is allowed to try out a few new tiaras and is not forced to stick with the ones she wore in the previous reign - i am not sure the Oriental Circlet suits her…. On her head it is really shown how big the tiara really is as it doesn’t dissapear in her hair at all like it did with the late QEQM and also during QEII’s only usage of it in 2005…

I applaud her for wearing it and i applaud Charles for allowing her to, but if she wear it again a different hairdo and different placement of the tiara is needed.

I agree with all your observations of the tiara on Catherine. It is a large tiara, almost to large, and appears large and awkward fitting on the Princess. I am surprised it could not be adjusted more, but it is hard to see the back side of it. I do like the fact she picked a tiara not seen in many years so the people can see some of royal jewelry/history. I would like to see Catherine pick another tiara not seen for some time. We will have to wait and see. I wonder if the Queen Consort would try and wear it. She appears to like the bigger tiaras.

 

[Stefan]

I agree with all your observations of the tiara on Catherine. It is a large tiara, almost to large, and appears large and awkward fitting on the Princess. I am surprised it could not be adjusted more, but it is hard to see the back side of it. I do like the fact she picked a tiara not seen in many years so the people can see some of royal jewelry/history. I would like to see Catherine pick another tiara not seen for some time. We will have to wait and see. I wonder if the Queen Consort would try and wear it. She appears to like the bigger tiaras.

I think the Problem is that it is a circlet. There are some pics of Catherine were it can be seen that it almost closed.
I think she needs an updoo with a bit of Volume to balance it better

 

[ladongas]

Here are a couple of pics of the Oriental Circlet from the back;

Princess Kate's Surprising New Manicure Is So Subtle, You Probably Missed It—But It's a Big Deal for Royal Fans

The Princess of Wales showed off a rare color during the German state visit.

www.yahoo.com

 

[KatieH]

I agree with all your observations of the tiara on Catherine. It is a large tiara, almost to large, and appears large and awkward fitting on the Princess. I am surprised it could not be adjusted more, but it is hard to see the back side of it. I do like the fact she picked a tiara not seen in many years so the people can see some of royal jewelry/history. I would like to see Catherine pick another tiara not seen for some time. We will have to wait and see. I wonder if the Queen Consort would try and wear it. She appears to like the bigger tiaras.

It seems she prefers Burmese rubies, because if she wanted to try wearing the Oriental tiara, she would definitely wear it first, not lend it to Catherine. However, she might decide to wear it someday in the future, since she can wear any jewelry she wants (except for the jewelry worn by the monarch).

 

[muriel]

For the "Together at Christmas" concert, the Princes is wearing the Robinson Pelham diamond pendant earrings with the star motifs. She wore these earrings for a film premiere a few years ago, with Tom Cruise.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/royals/article-15356895/Princess-Wales-Kate-Christmas-carol-service-Westminster-Abbey.html

 

[MARG]

I would like if they had implemented the rule, that everyone could wear most tiaras, so that they wouldn't be reserved for the Queen alone. This makes things more versatile and exciting. There aren't many tiara events anyway.

Whilst I understand you wish for unfettered tiara drooling (an obsession I will admit to sharing onoccasion, I love that there are "traditions" and hope they will continue to observe them.

There are some wonderful documentaries on Youtube that both show and explain the subtleties of the language of Jewels worn at both State and Diplomatic occasions as well as their history and even romantic and tragical origins.