Princess Kate’s Tiara Moment at the Royal Wedding of the Year Marked a Historic Milestone for Her

She also wore some new-to-her earrings with special significance.

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Kate Middleton arriving to a reception
(Image credit: Getty)

Yes, we are still thinking about the Jordanian royal wedding last Thursday—and, at the moment, specifically the Princess of Wales, who dazzled as ever. Even though the tiara atop her head is a longtime favorite—the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot Tiara, which she’s worn many times before—there was a significant first attached to this wearing of it: It was the first time she has ever worn a tiara outside of the U.K.

Hard to imagine, huh?

Kate Middleton at a reception for South Africa's president

(Image credit: Getty)

But it’s true. People reports that, although she has worn this particular diamond and pearl tiara many times before inside the U.K.—and despite going on many royal tours to many different countries during her 12 years as a senior royal since marrying Prince William in 2011—the wedding of Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa was a historic first for her.

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Additionally, Kate also wore the tiara differently than she normally does, also marking a style first for her. “While she typically wears her hair in an elegant updo for formal occasions calling for the royal head-toppers, the princess opted to wear her hair down at the wedding banquet, with the tiara doubling as a headband,” People reports. If you’ll remember, Kate first experimented with the tiara and loose hair combination last December at the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace; for that occasion, she wore the Lotus Flower Tiara, not the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot Tiara. 

Kate Middleton shaking hands at a diplomatic reception

(Image credit: Getty)

Kate has worn one another tiara—she wore Queen Elizabeth’s Cartier Halo Tiara on her wedding day on April 29, 2011. But the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot Tiara is her go to. According to The Court Jeweller, it is more than a century old and was originally commissioned from jeweler Garrard by Queen Mary in either 1913 or 1914. “The piece is a replica of a tiara owned by Queen Mary’s grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse, who was titled the Duchess of Cambridge (just like the current Princess of Wales),” People reports.

Kate Middleton smiling on her wedding day in 2011

(Image credit: Getty)

Kate accessorized her tiara with her debut in the Greville Chandelier earrings that once belonged to Her late Majesty. Queen Elizabeth received the earrings as a wedding present from her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother when she married Prince Philip in 1947, according to the Royal Collection Trust.

Kate Middleton arriving at a reception in 2015

(Image credit: Getty)

Kate wasn’t the only member of the British Royal Family to pull out the tiara for the Jordanian royal wedding. Princess Beatrice wore a tiara for only the second time, donning her mother Sarah Ferguson’s York Tiara for the first time. The piece was purchased for Ferguson by Queen Elizabeth, and the Duchess of York wore it at her 1986 wedding to Prince Andrew. The only other time Beatrice has worn a tiara was at her own wedding in 2020, when she opted for the Queen Mary Diamond Fringe Tiara—the same one her grandmother Queen Elizabeth wore at her wedding.

Rachel Burchfield
Rachel Burchfield
Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor

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.