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Kate Middleton’s Windsor tiara hid more than just diamonds: Secret rule behind debut sparkler
Kate Middleton made her debut in Queen Victoria’s tiara on December 3
Kate Middleton’s debut in Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet tiara during the recent state dinner at Windsor Castle captivated all who witnessed it — while curiosity resulted in the emergence of a regulation which accompanied the tiara’s creation.
Designed by Prince Albert for his wife Queen Victoria in 1853, the monarch’s will “designated the circlet as an heirloom of the Crown, specifically earmarking for the use of future queens and queens consort” following her husband’s death.
While the tiara was passed down to Queen Elizabeth, she had only worn it “on one occasion to the Malta state banquet in 2005,” per HELLO!.
Her mother, known as the Queen Mother, was notably the more frequent wearer of the priced jewel — the late royal, also named Elizabeth, had continued wearing the tiara “throughout her widowhood after her husband's death in 1952.”
Kate Middleton’s appearance in the Oriental Circlet sparked renewed speculations about her stepping further into the royal spotlight, becoming the only member of the family to wear the tiara before her official crowning as a queen.
