Princess Kate Makes History in 100-Year-Old Tiara Not Seen Since the 1930s

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 22 November 2023

Though she has been a working member of the royal family for over 12 years, the Princess of Wales has only ever worn four tiaras during her royal life: the Cartier Halo tiara, which she wore on her wedding day in 2011; the Lotus Flower tiara, which she has worn three times since 2013 at different diplomatic events; her most-worn tiara, the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot, which she has worn 11 times since 2015; and now, as of last night, the Strathmore Rose tiara, which hasn’t been worn in public since the 1930s.

In addition to its being tucked away for nearly a century, it has only ever been worn publicly by two royals: Kate, and the late Queen Mother, who received this tiara as a gift from her father upon her wedding day in 1923. The Court Jeweller reports that the tiara’s name stems from the Queen Mother’s father himself, who was the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.

“Kate has always signaled that she’d like to emulate the Queen Mother’s royal role, and wearing her jewels is an important symbol of that continuity,” Lauren Kiehna, founder of The Court Jeweller, told People. “It’s fitting that Kate—likely with some assistance from King Charles—would choose to wear the tiara exactly a hundred years after the Queen Mother originally received it. The piece is an antique that wasn’t fashionable for many decades, but many jewels once considered fussy or unstylish have now been embraced again.”

We might see the tiara again, as it can be styled multiple ways: “The tiara comes with two frames, allowing it to be worn either across the forehead or on top of the head,” Kiehna said. “The Queen Mother used it both ways, and Kate chose the more traditional setting for the banquet.”

Speaking of the banquet, the tiara was worn to a state banquet at Buckingham Palace last night as part of a two-day state visit hosting the President of the Republic of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeo and First Lady Kim Keon Hee. Kate joined King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, and other members of the royal family for the white-tie event, which hosted about 170 guests.

For last night’s affair, though she wore a new tiara, Kate wore a standby designer when it came to her gown: a white look by Jenny Packham featuring gold embellishments. She further accessorized with earrings that belonged to Queen Elizabeth, along with the Royal Family Order and her Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order sash and star.

Kate’s tiara wasn’t the only new (or, in Kate’s case, new to us) item at the state banquet last night: while most glasses at the banquet continued to feature Her late Majesty’s cypher, the head table featured glasses etched with King Charles’ royal cypher for the first time, People reports.

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.