From The Lover’s Knot To The Halo, Here’s A Brief History Of The Most Famous Royal Tiaras

What’s the most famous tiara in the world? Well, certainly the most recognisable would have to be the one in which the Queen is depicted on our banknotes and coins: the first £1 note that carried her portrait was issued on 17 March 1960. But the story behind the tiara she wears is lesser known. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara was gifted to Queen Mary in 1893 by Lady Eva Greville, who later became one of her ladies-in-waiting. It was then given to Mary’s granddaughter, the Queen (née Princess Elizabeth) as a wedding present.

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Then there is the Lover’s Knot tiara, one of the Duchess of Cambridge’s favourites, first commissioned for Queen Mary in 1913. Later, it was given to Queen Elizabeth, who eventually gave it to Princess Diana on her wedding day, in 1981. Kate didn’t wear it for her nuptials to Prince William – for that, she wore the Cartier Halo Tiara – but it has since become a regular in her jewellery box. 

And let’s not forget the diamond bandeau that the Duchess of Sussex wore for her marriage to Prince Harry. This tiara was also made for Queen Mary, in 1932, though its central (detachable) brooch dates back to 1893 – the surrounding tiara was created to accommodate the jewel by request of the Queen, to whom it was given in 1953. Princess Eugenie wore a similar headband style for her wedding day, the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara, originally created by Boucheron for society hostess Margaret Greville in 1919, and left to the Queen when she died in 1947 (it was Eugenie’s “something borrowed”).  

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Tracing the tiaras, then, tells us as much about family relationships as it does stones. Royal tiaras have played an enduring role in British heritage. Here, a selection of the most famous royal tiaras that have been worn by royals across three centuries.