Lyla Dejesus
Meghan Markle's wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 was one of the most highly anticipated events of the decade. One of the most memorable elements of her bridal look was the tiara she wore, which was Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau tiara. The tiara was made in 1932 and features a centre detachable brooch made of ten diamonds dating back to 1893. It was not seen publicly again until Meghan's wedding day. However, it was not her first choice for a tiara, and the story behind how she came to choose it involved rumours of tension between her and Queen Elizabeth.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the tiara | Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau Tiara |
| Composition | Diamonds set in platinum |
| History | Made for Queen Mary in 1932 and inherited by Queen Elizabeth II after her death in 1953 |
| Loaned by | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Meghan Markle's first choice | The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara |
| Veil | 16-foot silk tulle veil with 53 flowers representing each country in the British Commonwealth and a California poppy |
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What You'll Learn
Meghan Markle wore Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau Tiara
The tiara is a flexible band of 11 sections, covered in large and small diamonds, with a detachable brooch centrepiece. The brooch was originally a wedding gift to Queen Mary from the County of Lincoln in 1893 when she married the then-future King George V. It was made into a tiara in 1932 by the jewellery company Garrard.
Meghan Markle's wedding tiara was a royal family heirloom on loan from Queen Elizabeth II. It was not her first choice for her wedding day. She had initially selected the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara, which was worn by Princess Eugenie five months later. However, Queen Elizabeth II rejected Meghan's request, as the tiara was tied to controversy. It had made its way to the royal family through "dodgy channels" from Russia during the aftermath of the Russian Revolution.
Meghan Markle paired the tiara with a custom Givenchy wedding dress, a 16-foot silk tulle veil, and a chic bridal updo.
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The tiara was a royal family heirloom
The tiara Meghan Markle wore on her wedding day was a royal family heirloom. It is known as Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau Tiara and was made in 1932. The tiara was inherited by Queen Elizabeth II after Queen Mary's death in 1953. It was not seen publicly again until Meghan's wedding day.
The tiara was made for Queen Mary from a brooch she received as a wedding gift from the County of Lincoln in 1893. The bandeau tiara was constructed by the jewellery company Garrard, who were asked to create something more versatile with the brooch. The tiara is formed as a flexible band of 11 sections, each covered in large and small diamonds, with a detachable brooch centrepiece.
The tiara was loaned to Meghan Markle by Queen Elizabeth II, who encouraged the couple to select an accessory from her private collection of jewellery at Buckingham Palace. The tiara was reportedly chosen because it was "so clean and simple", complementing her Givenchy wedding dress.
The tiara holds significance as a royal heirloom, with Meghan following royal protocol and paying homage to her new family through the meaningful accessory. The sparkling headpiece has been in the British royal family for decades, with Queen Elizabeth II loaning many of her personal pieces to her family over the years.
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Meghan Markle's first choice was the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara
Meghan Markle's wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 was one of the most highly anticipated events of the decade, with royal watchers eagerly awaiting details of her dress, tiara, and other accessories. While Markle's custom Givenchy gown and veil were certainly show-stopping, it was her tiara that caused the most buzz.
Markle's first choice was the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara, also known as the Russian Emerald Headdress. This sparkling headpiece, valued at nearly $13 million, features rose-cut pavé diamonds and six emeralds, with a 93.7-carat cabochon-cut emerald in the centre, all set in platinum. The tiara was commissioned by Boucheron in 1919 for Dame Margaret Helen Greville, a British society hostess and philanthropist who was friends with the Queen Mother. Greville later gave the tiara to the Queen Mother, who passed it down to Queen Elizabeth II.
However, Queen Elizabeth II rejected Markle's request to wear the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara. According to fine jewellery expert Maxwell Stone, the tiara was tied to controversy as it had made its way to the royal family through "dodgy channels" from Russia during the aftermath of the Russian Revolution. The Queen's dresser, Angela Kelly, reportedly said that it wouldn't be a good look for the royal family if newspapers started speculating about the tiara's previous owner, a Tsarist princess who had been assassinated.
In the end, Markle wore Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau Tiara, a royal family heirloom on loan from Queen Elizabeth II. This tiara was made in 1932 and features a flexible band of 11 sections, each covered in large and small diamonds, with a detachable brooch with a centre stone. The tiara was originally a wedding gift to Queen Mary from the County of Lincoln in 1893 and became part of Queen Elizabeth II's collection after Queen Mary's death in 1953.
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The tiara was loaned to Meghan by Queen Elizabeth II
Meghan Markle wore Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau Tiara on her wedding day. The tiara was loaned to Meghan by Queen Elizabeth II from her private collection of jewellery at Buckingham Palace. The tiara was made in 1932 and features a flexible band of 11 sections, interlaced with ovals and pavé-set diamonds. The centrepiece is a detachable brooch made of 10 diamonds, which was originally a wedding gift to Queen Mary from the County of Lincoln in 1893.
Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau Tiara was not Meghan's first choice for her wedding day. She had initially selected the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara, also known as the Russian Emerald Headdress. This tiara was reportedly the most expensive in Queen Elizabeth's collection, valued at nearly $13 million. However, Queen Elizabeth rejected Meghan's request due to the tiara's controversial history. It was commissioned by Boucheron in 1919 for Dame Margaret Helen Greville, a British society hostess and philanthropist who was friends with the Queen Mother. The tiara was passed down to Queen Elizabeth through Margaret Greville.
In his memoir, Spare, Prince Harry writes about the selection process and the eventual refusal of Meghan's first choice. He also mentions that Queen Elizabeth and her royal dresser, Angela Kelly, provided Meghan with five alternative options, one of which was the tiara she ultimately wore. Harry writes that this tiara stood out from the others and was "made for Meg".
The tiara holds significant meaning for Meghan, as it was a way to pay tribute to her new royal family. It has been a part of the British royal family for decades and was inherited by Queen Elizabeth II after Queen Mary's death in 1953. The tiara's history and connection to the royal family made it a fitting choice for Meghan's wedding to Prince Harry.
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The tiara was made in 1932
The tiara Meghan Markle wore on her wedding day was made in 1932. It is known as Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau Tiara and was a royal family heirloom on loan from Queen Elizabeth II. The tiara was made for Queen Mary in 1932 and inherited by Queen Elizabeth II after her death in 1953. It was not seen publicly again until Meghan's wedding day.
The tiara was made from a brooch that Queen Mary received as a wedding gift from the County of Lincoln in 1893. In 1932, she enlisted the help of jewellery company Garrard to create something more versatile, and the tiara was constructed. It features a flexible band of 11 sections, each covered in large and small diamonds, with a detachable brooch with a centre stone as its focal point.
The tiara was at the centre of tensions between Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth's close aide, Angela Kelly. Harry alleged that Kelly had caused difficulty by delaying the delivery of the jewel for Meghan to try on with her hairdresser.
Meghan paired the tiara with a custom Givenchy wedding dress, a 16-foot silk tulle veil, and a chic bridal updo. The veil was embroidered with 53 flowers representing each country in the British Commonwealth, along with a California poppy, the official flower of her home state.
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Frequently asked questions
Meghan Markle wore Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau Tiara, a royal family heirloom on loan from Queen Elizabeth II.
Meghan Markle chose the tiara because it was "so clean and simple", complementing her Givenchy wedding dress.
No, Markle's first choice was the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara, also known as the Russian Emerald Headdress. However, Queen Elizabeth II rejected her request.
