British Royals: The Stories of Dianas, Kates and Meghan’s Tiaras

Tiaras are a little glimpse into the monarchy’s past, as previous generations of kings often commissioned them from court jewelers for their queens. Today’s princesses and queens only wear them on very special occasions such as state banquets at home and abroad, coronations and lavish receptions. But then they are an integral part of the Windsor ladies’ getup – and complete the dream image that we have of royal ladies.

Tiaras and Crowns: What Makes Them Different

While crown, tiara and diadem are often used as synonyms in German, there are differences. A crown has a closed circle as its base. Tiaras and diadems (the last one is the German word for tiara), meanwhile, are just a semicircle and the open ends are hidden in the hair. The royal ladies usually wear tiaras or diadems. However, until a few years before her death, Queen Elizabeth II had a fixed date that required a crown: the annual opening of Parliament. For the occasion, she wore the 1937 Imperial State Crown, designed for the coronation of her father, King George IV. Instead of bowing her head to read the speech, she had to raise her hands – otherwise the heavy crown would have fallen to the ground. She wore the same crown to her own coronation in 1953. In a BBC documentary, the Queen explained: “Crowns have certain disadvantages, but on the other hand they are quite important.”

Simpler are the lighter and smaller tiaras that are housed in the royal jewelry casket and regularly loaned to the female royalty. Many from the last century have been made or modified by former court jeweler Garrard. The company exclusively supplied the British royal family between 1843 and 2007. In addition to the magnificent tiaras, the famous sapphire ring was also made there, which Prince Charles gave to Lady Diana Spencer on her engagement and is now worn by Princess Kate.