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19 sparkling royal wedding tiaras that stole the show: From Princess Kate to Meghan Markle

These royal brides accessorised to perfection

Royal tiaras
Katie Daly
Lifestyle Writer
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Royal fans aren't often treated to a tiara moment, but a wedding is a surefire way to catch a glimpse at some of the royal family's most impressive jewels.

Princess Kate and Duchess Sophie are just some of the brides who have accessorised their stunning wedding gowns with glittering tiaras, each with their own special backstory. From Princess Beatrice's borrowed headpiece from the late Queen to Princess Diana's family heirloom, take a look at some of our favourite tiaras of all time…

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Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth with phillip in wedding outfits© Getty

For her 1947 wedding to Prince Philip, Princess Elizabeth – who would become Queen Elizabeth II – wore Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara, consisting of 47 diamond bars using stones taken from a necklace Queen Mary had been given by Queen Victoria.

The Fringe Tiara passed on to Princess Elizabeth's mother in 1936, was loaned to the young Princess as the 'something borrowed' element of her wedding outfit. 

Princess Anne

Captain Mark Phillips and Princess Anne wave from balcony© Getty

The Queen would loan the sparkling keepsake to her own daughter Princess Anne for her first wedding to Mark Phillips in November 1973, and more recently to Princess Beatrice, who tied the knot on 17 July 2020.

Queen Camilla

Charles and Camilla holding order of service© Getty

Queen Camilla and King Charles tied the knot in 2005. Although she didn't wear a traditional tiara, the royal did wow in an incredible avant-garde headpiece. It is believed to be against royal protocol for brides who have been married before to wear a tiara on their big day.

Princess Eugenie

Princess Eugenie leaves St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle© Getty

While some expected Princess Eugenie to wear the York tiara on her wedding day, she teamed her Peter Pilotto gown with the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara, which belonged to the Queen Mother. Made in 1919, it features brilliant and rose-cut pave diamonds and six emeralds, including a large cabochon emerald at the centre. Eugenie opted to go without a veil in order to show off her scoliosis scar.

Princess Kate

Kate in wedding dress in carriage© Getty

Princess Kate married Prince William on 29 April 2011 wearing a custom Alexander McQueen gown and the Queen Mother's Cartier Halo Tiara. The glittering headpiece features 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baguette-cut diamonds.

Lady Gabriella Windsor

Lady Gabriella Windsor leaves after her wedding to Thomas Kingston at St George's Chapel © Getty

Lady Gabriella Windsor married Thomas Kingston in May 2019, and the royal bride stepped out at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in a lace long-sleeved Luisa Beccaria gown. She added a diamond Russian fringe-style tiara that was previously worn by her mother Princess Michael of Kent and her grandmother Princess Marina of Greece on their wedding days – but it almost fell off.

In an interview with HELLO!, Lady Gabriella explained: "Suddenly I could feel my tiara start to pull back and in those few unnerving moments I thought it would come crashing down with an almighty clunk. My little bridesmaids had accidentally wandered onto my very sheer tulle 20ft veil. I slowed down until they’d stepped off it, but then it happened again. Fortunately, my hairdresser had pinned the tiara in place and it stood firm."

Meghan Markle

Meghan Markle wearing tiara and veil© Getty

As the Duchess of Sussex married Prince Harry on 19 May 2018 in St George's Chapel, Windsor, she donned the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau Tiara, on loan from the Queen and very rarely worn. The heirloom diamond and platinum piece was made in 1932, with the ten-diamond centre brooch dating from 1893.

The brooch was originally a gift from the County of Lincoln to the then-Princess when she married Prince George, Duke of York in 1893. The bandeau and the brooch were bequeathed by Queen Mary to Prince Harry's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. 

Zara Tindall

Zara Phillips in wedding dress and veil© Getty

For her wedding to Mike Tindall in 2011, Zara's chic chignon was carefully held in place by her 'something borrowed' – the Meander Tiara lent to her by her mother, Princess Anne.

The tiara, which perfectly complemented the bride's Stewart Parvin custom gown, originated in Greece's royal family, with Prince Philip's mother Alice gifting the tiara to late Queen Elizabeth II on her wedding day – and the Queen subsequently passing it on to her daughter, Princess Anne. The dazzling creation consists of a brilliant-cut diamond surrounded by a diamond wreath. 

Princess Diana

Charles and Diana in wedding carriage© Getty

When she married Prince Charles in 1981, Princess Diana famously wore a stunning ivory silk taffeta gown with puffed shoulders and a billowing skirt by Elizabeth and David Emanuel.

However, she also wore the requisite finishing touch for a princess bride: a gorgeous tiara. Diana's diamond-encrusted piece was not from the royal collection but from her own aristocratic family's treasure trove: the century-old Spencer Tiara worn by her mother and sisters on their own wedding days. 

Autumn Phillips

Autumn Kelly leaves in an open carriage following her marriage to Peter Phillips© Getty

In 2008, Autumn Philips looked picture-perfect in the Festoon Tiara borrowed from her new mother-in-law Princess Anne as she married Peter Phillips. The Princess Royal received the pretty piece as a gift in 1973 from the worldwide shipping firm in Hong Kong.

Duchess Sophie

Prince Edward and Sophie wave to the crowd in carriage© Getty

When Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, royal enthusiasts were surprised she donned a never-before-seen tiara. It turns out the scrollwork-motif diamond band came from the Queen's private collection. Its exact origins, however, have never been confirmed by Buckingham Palace.

Princess Margaret

Tony Armstrong-Jones and Princess Margaret waving to crowd© Getty

In 1960, when she prepared to walk down the aisle to marry Anthony Armstrong-Jones, Queen Elizabeth II's little sister chose a statement-making accessory for her wedding day – the Poltimore Tiara. Rather than borrowing from the royal collection according to tradition, however, glamorous Princess Margaret chose to wear this stunning creation, made by Garrard in the 1870s, which she had bought at an auction the year before her wedding.

Sarah Ferguson

Sarah Ferguson in wedding dress waving © Getty

In 1986, Sarah Ferguson tied the knot wearing a silk embroidered fairytale gown. Along with the storybook dress went her sparkling diamond and platinum tiara, with an elegant leaf motif, which was said to have been purchased from Garrards as a gift from her new mother-in-law, the Queen.

Queen Letizia

Letizia and Felipe at Alumudena Cathedral in Madrid© Getty

Queen Letizia married King Felipe VI in 2004 at Almeduna Cathedral in Madrid. She looked so stunning in the Prussian tiara crafted in 1913 by Koch for Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia. 

The piece was a loan from her mother-in-law, Queen Sofia of Spain. She also wore an embroidered gown with a dramatic collar and a 15-foot train. 

Queen Maxima

Prince Willem-Alexander and Maxima smiling at altar© Shutterstock

Queen Maxima married King Willem-Alexander in 2002 at the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam. She looked beautiful in the Dutch Star Tiara adorned with five ten-pointed diamond stars that were once owned by Queen Emma of the Netherlands. A delicate lacy veil was attached and trailed down her back.

Queen Mathilde

Prince Philippe of Belgium and Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz waving© Getty

Queen Mathilde of Belgium married Philippe in 1999. The pair wed at Brussels Town Hall before their religious ceremony at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels. Mathilde glowed in an antique Belgian heirloom tiara - the Art Deco Bandeau that belonged to Queen Elisabeth.

She teamed the piece with an antique lace veil that Queen Paola wore for her wedding to King Albert II in 1959.

Crown Princess Mette-Marit

Crown Prince Haakon Of Norway & Mette-Marit waving© Getty

The Norwegian royals Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon wed in 2001 at Oslo Cathedral. The bride wore the dazzling bandeau of diamond daisies tiara that was a gift from her in-laws, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway.  

The piece was perched upon her head - her hair was worn in a chic updo which emphasised the square neckline of her classic gown.

Crown Princess Mary

Crown Princess Mary with lacy veil on head© Getty

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark married Crown Prince Frederik in 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral. The royal glowed in a stunning tiara featuring a diamond heart and fleur-de-lis motifs. The piece was a gift from her new in-laws, Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark. 

Mary boasted quite the tiara collection around the celebrations of her wedding. She wore the diadem from the Danish Ruby Parure during her pre-wedding celebrations.

Crown Princess Victoria

Crown Princess Victoria and prince daniel in carriage waving© Getty

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden married Prince Daniel in 2010. The bride wore the Cameo Tiara like her mother, Queen Silvia, did on her wedding day in 1976. The piece was first owned by Empress Joséphine of France.

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