Royal headwear is often passed down from generation to generation, accumulating a few interesting stories along its way. From Queen Elizabeth II’s extensive collection of crowns and tiaras to Princess Diana’s iconic Spencer Crown, each piece has a tale or two to tell about it’s bearer and how it came to fit upon their head. Surely, a princess is not a princess with a tiara and a queen is most definitely not a queen without her crown, right? Let’s have a look at the most spectacular royal crowns and tiaras and have a peek into the stories they carry.
One of Queen Elizabeth’s favourite tiaras, this outstanding piece originally belonged to Queen Mary. A special committee of women raised over $8000 to purchase this beauty and gifted it to Queen Mary on the occasion of her marriage in 1893. In 1947, Mary passed it down to her granddaughter Elizabeth. The Queen is said to affectionately call the tiara “Granny’s tiara” and is one of her most frequently worn pieces. This beautifully regal tiara was originally topped with pearls but was modified by Queen Mary before it was passed down. This tiara may be familiar to you, it is the one worn by the Queen on the back of our coins!
Image via : Antique Jewelry University
Another one of Queen Mary’s tiaras that she bequeathed to her granddaughter Queen Elizabeth, this gorgeous fringe tiara has all the bling in all the right places. Before she was Queen, Elizabeth borrowed the tiara for her wedding day in 1947. She did accidentally break the centre fringe on her wedding day and had to get it speedily repaired before the ceremony. (What a wedding mishap!) After having it properly repaired the piece was lent to Princess Anne on her wedding day.
Image via : The Daily Mail
Most famously worn by the late Lady Diana, this tiara was pieced together in 1914 for Queen Mary from pearls and diamonds already in her possession. It was inherited by Queen Elizabeth and then gifted to Princess Diana as a wedding gift. The lovers knot tiara was most recently worn by Kate Middleton, one of the only times Kate has ever worn a tiara.
Image via : Heightline
This wonder was given to Queen Alexandra as a wedding anniversary gift from a group of women called the Ladies of Society. Since they wanted her to pick something she would love they asked her to request a style and she suggested it be fashioned like a traditional Russian kokoshnik headdress. It now belongs to Queen Elizabeth and she’s often seen wearing this sparkler.
Image via : Express
Commonly known as the scroll tiara, this beauty was famously worn by Kate Middleton on her wedding day. Made by Cartier, the tiara was purchased by King George VI for his wife Queen Elizabeth (the queen mother) before they were crowned king and queen consort. It was then gifted to Queen Elizabeth II on her 18th birthday, and then lent to Kate for her wedding.
Image via : Glamour Magazine
Princess Mary’s gorgeous tiara is enriched with history, travelling back two centuries to the extravagant imperial coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte. It was gifted to Mary by Queen Ingrid, and originally belonged to Désirée Clary who was once engaged to Napoleon. Princess Mary has had the tiara altered slightly to fit the shape of her head better, and is one of her most frequently worn pieces.
Image via: The Court Jeweller
Another gorgeous piece that originates from the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte, this Swedish crown is one of the oldest still in use. Gifted by Napoleon to his wife Josephine, the cameo crown has been passed down for generations and now belongs to Queen Silvia of Sweden. Queen Silvia hardly wears the piece, though it is most worn as a family bridal crown as seen at Princess Victoria’s wedding in 2010.
Image via : Wikipedia
Belonging to the Spanish royal family this tiara is a favourite and is shared between all the Spanish royal ladies, although most worn by Queen Letizia. This diamond tiara is possibly one of the prettiest floral tiaras in current circulation and is a sure inspiration for a modern bride. The diamond tiara is set in gold and silver in a floral motif and can be converted into a necklace or the center flower can be a brooch.
Image via : Hola.com
This stunning tiara is thought to be inspired by Greek architecture elements, featuring Greek motifs, a row of Greek keys, columns and a row of laurel leaves. It is another tiara frequently worn by all the ladies of the Spanish court, but was showcased at Queen Letizia’s wedding day.
Image via : Daily Mail
One of the most iconic tiaras of modern history, this one belongs to the Spencer family and was famously worn by Princess Diana on her wedding day. This caused some controversy as the queen gifted the Cambridge lovers knot tiara for her wedding day, but Diana chose to not wear it choosing her family tiara instead. Princess Diana frequently wore the Spencer Tiara as it was said that it was lighter and easier to wear.
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