The Princess of Wales turned heads at the state banquet last night with her glistening tiara – and the head piece boasts a fascinating history spanning more than 100 years
Princess Kate wore an iconic tiara to the state banquet last night, as the Royal Family welcomed President Trump and the First Lady to St George’s Hall in Windsor Castle.
The Princess of Wales opted to wear a gold and cream lace gown by Phillipa Lepley, which she paired with glittering earrings and the Lovers’ Knot tiara.
The stunning tiara was created for Queen Mary in 1914 by the House of Garrard, and after her death it was passed down to Queen Elizabeth II. It has also been worn by Princess Diana and was lent to her by the late Queen for her to wear on her wedding day, but she chose to wear the Spencer tiara instead.
READ MORE: Donald Trump LIVE: Starmer praises ‘special relationship’ in pally Chequers speechREAD MORE: Kate Middleton responds to Donald Trump’s ‘childish comment’ as he makes shock move
The late princess wore the Lover’s Knot on other occasions, although it was reportedly so heavy that it gave her headaches. The glittering piece has a French neo-classical design with 19 diamond frames and pearl drops hanging from lovers’ knots.
Jewellery expert and creative director of Steven Stone, Maxwell Stone, explained that the tiara ‘has its cons,’ adding: “It’s claimed to have been so heavy that it hurt the late Princess of Wales’ head, giving her headaches – it’s also said to be noisy due to the swinging pearls.
“The fact that it’s so heavy that it hurt Princess Diana’s head indicates that it’s a valuable tiara, embellished with the finest quality diamonds and pearls.”
Stone said that white it is hard to put a price on such a “historic and extravagant piece” he would estimate it to be worth around £1 million.
Earlier in the day, before the state banquet, Kate wore a burgundy ensemble to greet the Trumps as they arrived at Windsor. The double-breasted coatdress was from Emilia Wickstead and she paired it with a set of chocolate-brown suede heels by Gianvito Rossi.
Kate accessorised the look with a Jane Taylor London hat with a bow and mesh veil, and a quilted flap bag from Chanel.
Meanwhile, Queen Camilla went for a cobalt-blue look for the state banquet and wore a Fiona Clare gown with a sapphire tiara. The Queen’s headpiece was commissioned back in 1963 by Queen Elizabeth II to go with her sapphire necklace that had been a gift from her father, King George VI.
The tiara is made from an antique sapphire and diamond necklace, and it was worn by Camilla for the first time in 2022 at her first state banquet as queen consort.
