PEOPLE
Meghan Markle‘s royal wedding tiara holds as much — if not more — significance as the gown she wore down the aisle. While some speculated that Meghan might skip the tradition altogether, Prince Harry‘s bride followed royal protocol and paid homage to her new family through the meaningful, sparkling accessory which has been in the British royal family for decades.
Meghan followed in Kate Middleton’s footsteps wearing a tiara straight from the Queen’s jewelry vault, the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau.
According to Kensington Palace, the English tiara, which features diamonds set in platinum, was made in 1932 and features a center detachable brooch made of ten diamonds dating back to 1893.
The tiara is “formed as a flexible band of eleven sections, pierced with interlaced ovals and pavé set with large and small brilliant diamonds.”
The palace confirms that the diamond bandeau was a present to the then Princess Mary in 1893 by the County of Lincoln on her marriage to Prince George, Duke of York, who would become King George V. The bandeau and the brooch were passed down by Queen Mary to The Queen in 1953. The queen’s sister Princess Margaret famously wore the piece to events.
Meghan styled the diamond tiara featuring with a chic bridal updo and cathedral length veil and a custom Givenchy dress featuring long-sleeves and a statement train.
Royal wedding predictors had their eye on the Queen Mother’s Strathmore Rose tiara for Markle. The bejeweled floral headpiece was given to Harry’s great grandmother as a wedding gift. She wore the diamond garland design for hr official bridal portraits alongside the Duke of York in 1929. (They later became King George VI , 1895 – 1952, and Queen Elizabeth, 1900 – 2002.)
Wearing a tiara from the royal family archives shows Meghan’s commitment to her new life in the royal spotlight as Prince Harry’s wife. So how does her glittering headpiece compare to the pantheon of royal bridal tiaras? See below for a recap of what Princess Kate, Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother wore on their big days.