Meghan Markle wore a long unseen Tiara at her Wedding to Prince Harry, so forgotten that we didn’t even think to include it in our tiara predictions ahead of the big day. Ahead of the completion of the royal wedding, we are featuring Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau-

 

Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau | Birks Diamond Earrings | Butterfly Suite | Princess Diana’s Aquamarine Ring | Engagement Ring

A flexible band of eleven sections, pierced with interlaced ovals and pavé set with large and small brilliant diamonds, with a central detachable brooch of ten brilliant diamonds, this Diamond Bandeau, which has also been known as Queen Mary’s Filigree Bandeau, was made for Queen Mary by Garrard in 1932, to accommodate the central diamond brooch, which was given to her as a wedding gift by the County of Lincoln in 1893.

It was specifically made for Queen Mary in 1932 to accommodate in the centre the detachable brooch given as a present for her own wedding in 1893 by the County of Lincoln. The bandeau, chosen from Her Majesty’s collection, is formed as a flexible band of eleven sections, pierced with interlaced ovals and set with large and small brilliant diamonds. The centre is set with the detachable brooch of ten brilliant diamonds.

Queen Mary possessed several Diamond Bandeaus, like her Diamond Lozenge Bandeau and her Diamond Crochet Bandeau, which were often worn from the 1920s to the 50s for less formal Galas in an era when the King and Queen dined in White Tie every evening. In 1949, this Diamond Bandeau was worn by Queen Mary for a performance of Emile Littler’s pantomime, ‘Little Miss Muffet’ at the London Casino.

Two years later, Queen Mary wore the Diamond Bandeau for the premiere of Charles Crichton’s Ealing comedy, ‘The Lavender Hill Mob’ at the Odeon cinema, Marble Arch in 1951. After her death in 1953, the Tiara was among the jewels inherited by the late Queen, but was not publicly worn for several decades.

In 2018, Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau was loaned by the Queen to Actress Meghan Markle when she married Prince Harry at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle and became the Duchess of Sussex.

After the Wedding, Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau went on display at Windsor Castle and in an audio recording made for the exhibition, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex recalled how she chose the Tiara:

When it came to the tiara on the day I was very fortunate to be able to choose this very gorgeous Art Deco-style bandeau tiara,’ the Duchess of Sussex recalls. ‘Harry and I had gone to Buckingham Palace to meet with Her Majesty The Queen to select one of the options that were there, which was an incredibly surreal day, as you can imagine.

‘That was the one that I think as we tried them on stood out; I think it was just perfect because it was so clean and simple, and I think also at that point an extension to what Clare and I had been trying to do with the dress, which was have something that could be so incredibly timeless but still feel modern.’

‘Every girl’s dream,’ the Duke interjects. ‘To be able to try on a tiara and funnily enough the one that suited the best, the one that looked the best on you without question. I shouldn’t have really been there; it was such an incredible loan by my grandmother. Very sweet.’

However, several years later, the Duke of Sussex told a different narrative in his memoir, Spare, recalling several difficulties in obtaining the Tiara ahead of the wedding.

Next came the question of a tiara. My aunts asked if Meg would like to wear my mother’s. We were both touched. Meg then spent hours and hours with her dress designer, getting the veil to match the tiara, giving it a similar scalloped edge.

Shortly before the wedding, however, Granny reached out. She offered us access to her collection of tiaras. She even invited us to Buckingham Palace to try them on. Do come over, I remember her saying.

Extraordinary morning. We walked into Granny’s private dressing room, right next to her bedroom, a space I’d never been in. Along with Granny was a jewelry expert, an eminent historian who knew the lineage of each stone in the royal collection. Also present was Granny’s dresser and confidante, Angela. Five tiaras were arrayed on a table, and Granny directed Meg to try on each one before a full-length mirror. I stood behind, watching.

One was all emeralds. One was aquamarines. Each was more dazzlingly stunning than the last. Each took my breath.

I wasn’t the only one. Granny said to Meg quite tenderly: Tiaras suit you.

Meg melted. Thank you, Ma’am.

“One of the five, however, stood out. Everyone agreed. It was beautiful, seemingly made for Meg. Granny said it would be placed in a safe directly and she looked forward to seeing it on Meg’s head come the Big Day.

Make sure, she added, that you practice putting it on. With your hairdresser. It’s tricky and you don’t want to be doing it for the first time on the wedding day.

We left the Palace feeling awed and loved and grateful.

A week later we contacted Angela and asked her to please send us the chosen tiara so we could practice putting it on. We’d done research, and we’d spoken to Kate about her own experience, and we’d learned that Granny’s warning was spot on. The placing of the tiara was an intricate, elaborate process. It had to be first sewn to the veil, then Meg’s hairdresser would need to fix it to a small plait in her hair. Complicated, time-consuming—we’d need at least one dress rehearsal.

For some reason, however, Angela didn’t respond to any of our messages.

We kept trying.”

“No response.

When we finally reached her, she said the tiara would require an orderly and a police escort to leave the Palace.

That sounded…a bit much. But all right, I said, if that’s protocol, let’s find an orderly and a police officer and get the ball rolling. Time was running out.

Inexplicably, she replied: Can’t be done.

Why can’t it?

Her schedule was too busy.

She was being obstructive, obviously, but for what reason? We couldn’t even hazard a guess. I considered going to Granny, but that would probably mean sparking an all-out confrontation, and I wasn’t quite sure with whom Granny would side.

Also, to my mind, Angela was a troublemaker, and I didn’t need her as an enemy.

Above all, she was still in possession of that tiara.

She held all the cards.”

“Angela still hadn’t delivered it.

Meg’s hairdresser had come in from France for the rehearsal, and the tiara still wasn’t there. So he’d gone back.

Again, we phoned Angela. Again, nothing.

Finally, Angela appeared out of thin air at Kensington Palace. I met her in the Audience Room.

She put before me a release, which I signed, and then she handed me the tiara.

I thanked her, though I added that it would’ve made our lives so much easier to have had it sooner.

Her eyes were fire. She started having a go at me.

Angela, you really want to do this now? Really? Now?

She fixed me with a look that made me shiver. I could read in her face a clear warning.”This isn’t over.”

Dare I say it, it looks like Queen Mary's Filgree Tiara! #RoyalWedding!https://t.co/oVfAHSSlwp pic.twitter.com/RltVCFxKyH

— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) May 19, 2018

Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau

Birks Diamond Earrings

Princess Diana’s Butterfly Earrings

Princess Diana’s Aquamarine Ring

Queen Mary’s Crown

George IV State Diadem

Queen Victoria’s Regal Circlet

Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara

Vladimir Tiara

Delhi Durbar Tiara

Cambridge Emerald Parure

Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara

Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara

Queen Adelaide’s Fringe Tiara

Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara

Cambridge Sapphire Parure

Teck Turquoise Tiara

Iveagh Tiara

Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara

Maria Feodorovna’s Sapphire Bandeau

Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau

Crochet Bandeau Tiara

Diamond Bandeau Tiara

Queen Mary’s Amethyst Tiara

Queen Mary’s Ladies of England Tiara

Queen Mary’s Surrey Fringe Tiara

 

 

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A flexible band of eleven sections, pierced with interlaced ovals and pavé set with large and small brilliant diamonds, with a central detachable brooch of ten brilliant diamonds, this Diamond Bandeau (previously known as the Filgree Tiara) was made for Queen Mary in 1932, specifically to accommodate the central diamond brooch, which was given to her as a wedding gift by the County of Lincoln in 1893.

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While not a favourite, Queen Mary wore this Diamond Bandeau for less formal events, usually Gala performances in the later years of her life.

Queen Mary also loaned it to her daughter-in-law, Princess Marina, for a Ball in 1935. After Queen Mary’s death in 1953, the Bandeau was inherited by the Queen.

Dare I say it, it looks like Queen Mary's Filgree Tiara! #RoyalWedding!https://t.co/oVfAHSSlwp pic.twitter.com/RltVCFxKyH

— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) May 19, 2018

Embed from Getty Images

Not publicly seen for over 60 years, Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau was loaned by the Queen to Meghan Markle as she wed Prince Harry at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle and became the Duchess of Sussex. I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to spot the tiara. This delicate piece really suited her look, and I’m sure we will see this Tiara on her for years to come.

In an audio recording made for the exhibition of their Wedding Outfits at Windsor Castle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex recalled how she chose the Tiara:

When it came to the tiara on the day I was very fortunate to be able to choose this very gorgeous Art Deco-style bandeau tiara,’ the Duchess of Sussex recalls. ‘Harry and I had gone to Buckingham Palace to meet with Her Majesty The Queen to select one of the options that were there, which was an incredibly surreal day, as you can imagine.

‘That was the one that I think as we tried them on stood out; I think it was just perfect because it was so clean and simple, and I think also at that point an extension to what Clare and I had been trying to do with the dress, which was have something that could be so incredibly timeless but still feel modern.’

‘Every girl’s dream,’ the Duke interjects. ‘To be able to try on a tiara and funnily enough the one that suited the best, the one that looked the best on you without question. I shouldn’t have really been there; it was such an incredible loan by my grandmother. Very sweet.’

For more information, check out:

Tiara Mania