Princess Kate Just Wore a Tiara Again—But Not in the Way You'd Expect—and It's a Major Tribute to Princess Diana

It's been quite a while since Kate Middleton has worn a tiara—December 2023, to be exact. And although there's a good chance royal fans will see the Princess of Wales at this summer's upcoming state banquet, the public got a surprise (albeit, indirect) tiara moment from the royal on Wednesday, May 21. Madame Tussauds, London's famed wax museum, announced that it has given the princess's wax figure a glamorous new makeover that's a tribute to her most recent white tie outing—and one accessory follows in the footsteps of Princess Diana.

The Princess of Wales wore a bedazzled pink Jenny Packham gown and her go-to pearl and diamond piece, Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara, to the December 2023 Diplomatic Corps Reception at Buckingham Palace. Now, Madame Tussauds has recreated the look for Kate's wax figure in all of its sparkling glory—and the museum dug into its Diana archives to make it happen.

According to Madame Tussauds, the tiara was "sourced from our very own archives and once worn by our Princess Diana figure in the 1980s." Although Diana is no longer present at the museum, it features a "Royal Palace Experience" including wax figures of Prince William, King Charles, Queen Camilla and Queen Elizabeth II.

Over the years Madame Tussauds has housed a number of other royal tributes, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, whose figures were moved to the celebrity area after they stepped down as senior royals in 2020.

Like Kate does today, the late princess nearly always wore the Lover's Knot Tiara for formal events, although she also wore her family's tiara, the Spencer Tiara, on numerous occasions.

Aside from her tiara, the Princess of Wales's updated wax figure is also dressed in a replica of the Greville Diamond Chandelier Earrings, a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth. The wax figure is styled in the exact Jenny Packham gown she wore for the 2023 reception along with a replica of the Royal Victorian Order blue sash, the Royal Family Order of Elizabeth II and a pair of silver pumps inspired by Kate's Gianvito Rossi Rania 105 heels.

The Prince of Wales also got a formal makeover in a black tuxedo, "complete with a white bow tie and accessories including replicas of his Order of the Garter sash, star, and army medals."

Looking ahead to July, the public might get a real tiara moment from the Princess of Wales when the Royal Family hosts a state visit from France's president, Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron.