Has Kate Middleton been wearing her tiara all wrong? Expert reveals why the royal perches glittering accessories on top of her hair instead of on the forehead
- The Queen Mother wore tiaras much lower down across her forehead
- READ MORE: Queen Camilla wears her late mother-in-law Elizabeth II’s ruby and diamond Burmese tiara
The Princess of Wales chose a 100-year-old tiara at the extravagant State Banquet welcoming the President and First Lady of South Korea to the UK last night.
While this was the first time Kate, 41, has worn the dazzling Strathmore Rose Tiara, it was previously seen on the Queen Mother almost a century ago.
Interestingly, Kate positioned the floral diamond design two inches back from her hairline – in stark contrast to her husband’s great-grandmother, who wore the tiara across her forehead, in 1923.
FEMAIL asked Carol Woolton, author and podcaster of If Jewels Could Talk, what initiated this change, and she explained it’s largely down to comfort
‘It’s not for nothing that they were tagged the “family fender” because they were heavy, headache-inducing material,’ she explained.
The Princess of Wales debuted a 100-year-old tiara at the extravagant State Banquet welcoming the President and First Lady of South Korea to the UK last night
Kate joined her husband Prince William, as well as King Charles and Queen Camilla, in welcoming Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee at the glittering festivities yesterday evening.
The mother-of-three made a lasting impression as she arrived at Buckingham Palace, wearing a Jenny Packham gown, diamond drop earrings belonging to Queen Elizabeth, her Family Order and GCVO sash and star.
But the royal’s floral tiara, which was a gift to the Queen Mother from her parents in 1923, undoubtedly stole the show.
The Strathmore Rose Tiara was given to Elizabeth, then the Duchess of York, as a wedding gift from her parents in 1923.
Josie Goodbody, author and jewellery editor, told FEMAIL that the bandeau was the most fashionable way to wear a head ornament in the 1920s.
‘The photographs of the Duchess of York, wearing this exquisite diamond set floral tiara, show her wearing it low on her forehead as a bandeau,’ she said.
‘It would have been slightly altered, at the time, to enable the new Duchess to wear it fashionably and to complement her bobbed haircut – which was known as ‘à la garçonne’ and originated in Paris with Gabrielle Chanel. Lady Elizabeth was also a client of Chanel in the 1920s.’
The Queen Mother’s parents purchased the showstopping Strathmore Rose Tiara for her as a wedding gift (pictured in 1923)
Jewels for the Duke’s bride: royal and other wedding gifts given to the Duke and Duchess of York in 1923
The Princess at a state banquet for Chinese President Xi Jinping at Buckingham Palace in 2015 (right). Elizabeth, the Duchess of York, also owned the Lotus Flower Tiara (pictured left in 1923) and wore it as a bandeau
The floral diamond design was purchased from London dealer Catchpole & Williams. Believed to have been made in the late nineteenth century, the diamond flowers can be removed and worn as brooches.
‘The bandeaux were often created with Art Deco characteristics, such as being more geometric, incorporating honeycomb and lozenge (rhomboid) motifs, symmetrical settings of large round roses, as seen in the Strathmore, and lotus flowers, seen in the Lotus Flower Tiara,’ Josie explained.
Carol Woolton, author and podcaster of If Jewels Could Talk, added: ‘It’s not for nothing that they were tagged the ‘family fender’ because they were heavy, headache-inducing material, so I think members of the Royal Family should wear these heirlooms in any way that’s comfortable for them.
‘It shows that beautiful antique jewels stand the test of time worn in new ways down the generations.’
The Strathmore Rose Tiara can be worn on top of the head or across the forehead as a bandeau – as the then Duchess of York chose to do. But the delicate floral design had remained in the Windsor vaults for years.
The decision to re-introduce this piece has great significance, considering Kate has only been seen wearing three tiaras since joining the Royal Family 12 years ago.
The mother-of-three has donned the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara on a number of occasions. Meanwhile, she selected the Cartier Halo Tiara for her wedding day and wore the Lotus Flower Tiara for two Diplomatic Receptions, as well as the China State Banquet in 2015.
The Princess of Wales also prefers to wear the Lotus Flower Tiara in a different way to its original owner, the Queen Mother.
The Lotus Flower Tiara was created in 1925 by Garrard from a diamond and pearl necklace that Elizabeth received for her wedding in 1923 – from her husband, the future George VI.
Diana, Princess of Wales wears an emerald necklace as a headband in Melbourne, Australia, in 1985
After receiving the necklace, Elizabeth asked Gerrard to dismantle it – using the diamonds and pearls to instead create a tiara.
She exhibited the reclaimed tiara in a series of portraits that were widely circulated for the 1937 coronation. Again, it was displayed low across her forehead – unlike Kate, who wore it atop her head.
‘Bandeaux were also cleverly created so as to be easily dismantled and repurposed as dress clips, brooches, bracelets and chokers for different occasions, and then reassembled.’ Josie explained.
‘Although tiaras, once worn as bandeaux, are now more usually seen worn higher on the head.
‘Princess Diana famously turned what had been Queen Mary’s 1920s Art Deco Emerald and Diamond Choker into a bandeau during the Royal Tour of Australia in 1985 – bringing a 60-year-old trend back to the forefront of fashion.’
King Charles, who now controls the royal jewellery collection, will have granted Kate permission to wear the Strathmore Rose Tiara yesterday evening.
He is known to have had a close relationship with his grandmother – and adores Kate. Earlier this month, Charles referred to the Princess as his ‘beloved daughter-in-law’ while giving a speech in Kenya.
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