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Princess Kate's best tiara moments in 15 dazzling photos

The Princess of Wales first wore royal jewels on her wedding day

Kate Middleton tiara moments
Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
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Royal tiara moments are rare so we always get excited at HELLO! HQ when the Princess of Wales gets to choose jewels from the vaults.

As custom, Kate's first tiara moment was on her wedding day to Prince William in 2011.

Since then, we've seen her wow in four different tiaras from the late Queen Elizabeth's vast collection.

Kate made her debut in the Cartier Halo tiara, and since then we've seen her in the Lotus Flower, the Lover's Knot and the Strathmore Rose.

See all of her dazzling tiara moments in the gallery below…

Wedding day, 2011

Kate Middleton wearing Cartier Halo tiara on her wedding day© Getty

The first time Kate donned a tiara was upon her marriage to Prince William on 29 April 2011. The royal bride was loaned the Cartier Halo tiara from Queen Elizabeth II, which dates back to 1936. It was given by the late Queen's father, then the Duke of York, to the Duchess of York before they became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

China state banquet, 2015

Kate Middleton in a red gown and Lotus Flower tiara© Getty

Kate's next tiara moment came two years later she she debuted the Lotus Flower tiara at the annual Diplomatic reception in 2013. 

The floral-themed diamond tiara was made from a necklace given as a wedding gift to the Queen Mother.

The then-Duchess of Cambridge sported the jewels again at the China state banquet (pictured above) with a red Jenny Packham gown in a nod to the country's flag.

Diplomatic reception, 2015

Kate wore the Lover's Knot tiara for the first time in 2015© Getty

The Lover's Knot tiara is Kate's most worn royal headpiece. It was synonymous with her late mother-in-law, Diana, who was gifted the tiara as a wedding present from Queen Elizabeth II in 1981. 

She first wore it in December 2015 for the Diplomatic Reception with the late Queen's diamond chandelier earrings and an ice blue lace gown.

Diplomatic reception, 2016

Royals at Diplomatic Corps reception in 2016© Getty

Kate rewore her red Jenny Packham gown with the Lover's Knot tiara as she and William joined Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla at the Buckingham Palace reception. 

Spanish state visit, 2017

Kate Middleton wearing Lover's Knot tiara for Spanish state banquet© Getty

The royal wowed in a blush pink lace Marchesa gown with the Lover's Knot tiara as the British royals hosted King Felipe and Queen Letizia during a state visit in 2017.

Kate also debuted Diana's Collingwood pearl and diamond earrings and the late Queen's Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace.

Diplomatic reception, 2017

Kate styled her hair in a low chignon with the Lover's Knot tiara in 2017© Getty

Once again, Kate opted for her favourite tiara, the Lover's Knot, and wore it with a white embellished gown and a diamond collet necklace.  

The Dutch state banquet, 2018

Kate Middleton wearing blue satin dress at Netherlands state banquet© Getty

Kate wowed in an icy blue satin Alexander McQueen gown with the Lover's Knot tiara and Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace, as the royals hosted King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands. 

Diplomatic reception, 2018

Kate Middleton wearing white embellished dress at diplomatic reception© Getty

Kate looked beautiful in a bridal-esque look for the annual Diplomatic reception. She sported a white embellished Jenny Packham gown with the Lover's Knot tiara and Diana’s Collingwood diamond and pearl drop earrings.  

US state banquet, 2019

Kate Middleton wearing white dress and tiara© Getty

The Princess donned a white ruffled Alexander McQueen gown with the Lover's Knot tiara, when the late Queen hosted US President Donald Trump for a state visit. And for the first time, Kate wore her new insignia as a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victoria Order (GCVO).

Diplomatic reception, 2019

Kate Middleton wears velvet gown with Lover's Knot tiara© Getty

The Lover's Knot made another appearance as Kate attended the Diplomatic reception in 2019. She teamed the tiara with the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace and diamond chandelier earrings. The Princess looked elegant in a floor-length navy velvet gown by her go-to designer McQueen. 

South Africa state visit, 2022

The Princess of Wales at a state banquet in 2022

Kate had her first tiara moment after the pandemic at the South Africa state visit in November 2022, just two months after Queen Elizabeth's death.

She chose to wear the Lover's Knot tiara with an embellished caped gown by Jenny Packham. 

Diplomatic reception, 2022

The Princess of Wales wearing the Lotus Flower tiara and her GCVO sash for the Diplomatic reception© Getty

The Lotus Flower tiara made a reappearance as King Charles and Queen Camilla hosted their first-ever Diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace. Kate styled her hair down with the jewels, which she teamed with a red sequin and embellished Jenny Packham evening dress. 

Jordan Royal Wedding, 2023

Kate Middleton wears sequin gown and embellished heels at the Jordan royal wedding© Royal Hashemite Court

The Princess surprised us when she had a glittering tiara moment at Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa's royal wedding in Jordan in June 2023. 

Kate wowed in a shimmering pink Jenny Packham gown with the Lover's Knot tiara and the late Queen's Greville Chandelier earrings. 

Coronation, 2023

Catherine Princess of Wales on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla © Getty

While it was widely reported before the coronation that the Princess may wear a tiara for King Charles' coronation, she stunned us with this beautiful floral-themed headpiece. 

The glittering accessory by Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen was made of silver bullion and crystal with three-dimensional leaf embroidery.

South Korean state visit, 2023

Close-up of William wearing a white tuxedo and Kate in a white gown and tiara © Getty

Kate delighted royal watchers as she debuted the Strathmore Rose Tiara at the South Korea state banquet. 

The then Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later the Queen Mother) was given the floral headpiece as a wedding gift from her father, the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne in 1923.

The tiara was left to her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, after the Queen Mother's death in 2002, but it hadn't been seen on another member of the royal family for decades. 

Diplomatic reception, 2023

Kate Middleton in pink sequin gown and tiara for diplomatic reception© Alamy

The Princess repeated her look from the Jordan royal wedding for the Diplomatic reception in December 2023. Kate brought back her pink Jenny Packham dress with the Lover's Knot tiara and the late Queen's Greville Chandelier earrings. 

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