Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Wessex, dazzled on her wedding day on Saturday, wearing a beautiful diamond tiara lent to her by the Queen.
The Queen Mary diamond bandeau tiara was made in 1932 for Queen Mary – our current HRH’s grandmother. The centre piece is a detachable brooch which was given to Mary of Teck (as she was then) in 1893 by the County of Lincoln, on her marriage to Prince George, Duke of York.
The platinum tiara is made in a striking, art deco style with eleven sections, featuring interlaced ovals and pavé diamonds along with large and small brilliant diamonds. It was made specifically to accommodate and show off the stunning detachable brooch of 10 brilliant diamonds.
It was bequeathed to Queen Elizabeth following Queen Mary’s death in 1953, and hasn’t been seen since it was last worn by Princess Margaret in 1965.
Meghan was reportedly invited by the Queen to Buckingham Palace to view the extensive collection of jewellery and to choose a tiara to wear on her wedding day. Tradition dictates that tiaras can only be worn by married women or by brides on their wedding day, when they are seen as an emblem of the loss of innocence and the crowning of love.
Initial speculation was that Meghan would wear the Spencer tiara, as worn by Princess Diana on her wedding day. Choosing a piece from the Queens collection seems to have been another gesture to cement the bond between Meghan and the royal family. However there was a nod to the late princess’s memory when Meghan wore Diana’s aquamarine cocktail ring by Asprey to the evening reception at Frogmore House.
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