Tonight, King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend a State Dinner held by President Trump and the First Lady at the White House, as they mark the 250th Anniversary of American Independence. For over a century, Queens, Empresses and Princesses have worn Tiaras at the White House, and we are hoping, but not expecting, that Queen Camilla will wear a Tiara at tonight’s State Dinner too!
Since the 1970s, State Dinners at the White House have usually been Black Tie affairs, and so several Queens and Princesses have chosen not to wear Tiaras, possibly also to respect American protocol when they would have worn Tiaras for other Black Tie State Dinners otherwise. However, there are a few notable exceptions:
Infanta Eulalia of Spain, an aunt of King Alfonso XIII, visited the United States in 1893 to attend the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and was also received by President Grover Cleveland at the White House. During a formal reception, an American gentleman declared that he “refused to speak to a crowned head,” whereupon the Infanta removed her tiara and set it aside for the remainder of the evening.
In 1926, Queen Marie of Romania wore her Cartier Pearl Tiara for a State Banquet hosted by President Calvin Coolidge at the White House.
The Queen was much impressed, as she told me later. She wore a gown of white velvet with a long train, the famous pearls that had been described many times and a diamond tiara; also jewelled decorations as well as rings and bracelets of diamonds.
The Queen wore the Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara for a State Dinner held by President Dwight D Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower at the White House in 1957.
Queen Ingrid of Denmark wore the Danish Ruby Parure for the State Dinner held by American President Dwight Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower at the White House in 1960.
In 1960, Crown Princess Michiko of Japan wore the Pearl Sunburst Tiara for the State Dinner hosted by American President Dwight Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie at the White House.
Two years later, Empress Farah wore the Seven Emerald Tiara for the State Dinner held by President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy at the White House in 1962.
In 1963, Grand Duchess Charlotte wore Grand Duchess Hilda’s Diamond Floral Tiara for a State Dinner hosted by President John F. Kennedy at the White House, while the First Lady wore her Diamond Sunburst Brooch as a Tiara.
Princess Sofia of Spain was in her Niarchos Ruby Parure for a State Dinner held by American President Richard Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon at the White House in 1971.
In 1975, Empress Nagako wore the Meiji Scroll Tiara and two of the Imperial Diamond Rivières, for a State Dinner held by President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford at the White House.
The following year, the Queen was wearing the Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara for a State Dinner held by President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford at the White House in 1976, to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States.
In 1982, Queen Beatrix wore the Antique Pearl Tiara for a State Dinner held by President Ronald Reagan at the White House to mark the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and the United States.
Queen Margrethe wore the Pearl Poiré Tiara and the Khedive of Egypt’s Pearl Parure for a State Dinner held by President George HW Bush and First Lady Barbra Bush at the White House in 1991.
The Queen wore her Belgian Sapphire Tiara for a State Dinner held by President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush at the White House in 1991.
The Queen also wore the Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara for a State Dinner held by President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush in 2007, which is the last time a Tiara was worn at the White House till date.
Royal Visits to the United States
American Presidential Visits to Britain 
