Queen Camilla Solves the Mystery of the Missing Tiara in a Show-Stopping Outfit at State Banquet

Queen Camilla wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara and a teal gown

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 3 December 2025

The Royal Family brought the glamour to Windsor Castle on Wednesday, December 3 as they welcomed Germany’s president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and first lady Elke Büdenbender for an official state visit. While Princess Kate sent jaws dropping in Queen Victoria’s diamond-and-ruby circlet tiara, Queen Camilla also wore a dazzling diamond headpiece steeped in royal history for their formal state banquet.

In mid-November, the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara—a favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth—was removed from the Edwardians: Age of Elegance exhibition at The King’s Gallery in London. While many fans assumed that it was taken from display for Queen Camilla to wear at the Diplomatic Corps reception on November 18, The Queen opted for a surprising choice instead, wearing the same emerald kokoshnik tiara Princess Eugenie chose for her 2018 wedding.

The “Girls” tiara wasn’t returned to the palace exhibition before its November 23 closing, leaving royal fans to wonder if it was being repaired or cleaned ahead of the German state visit this month. Fortunately, Queen Camilla answered that question on Wednesday, wearing the dazzling diamond tiara as she joined King Charles and their German guests.

Queen Camilla, King Charles, the president of Germany and first lady of Germany at a state banquet — King Charles and Queen Camilla are pictured with German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife, Elke Büdenbender.

Princess Kate wearing a blue sequin dress — The Princess of Wales debuted a blue Jenny Packham evening dress and Queen Victoria's tiara.

Queen Mary received the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara as a wedding gift in 1893, with the funds for the dazzling diamond piece having been raised by a committee of young women across the United Kingdom and Ireland—hence its name. It was then passed down to Queen Elizabeth as a wedding gift from her grandmother, Mary, in 1947.

For Wednesday’s state banquet, Queen Camilla kept the family tradition alive in the tiara, pairing it with a long-sleeved teal lace gown by one of her favorite designers, Fiona Clare. She finished off the look with dramatic diamond earrings and a massive emerald-and-diamond necklace from the royal vaults.

As for the Princess of Wales’s tiara surprise, her diamond headpiece dates back to the 1800s as well and was designed for Queen Victoria by her German-born husband, Prince Albert.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.