Kate Stuns in Royal Family’s Heirloom Tiara
It seems like Kate might have a thing for the late Princess Margaret. The Queen's younger sister - a bit of a glamorous wild child back in the day - was the previous occupant of Kensington Palace's apartment 1A, the same residence the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge so famously moved into this year. And last night, Kate set hearts aflutter by finally acting like a princess and walking out the front door with a dazzling diamond tiara on her (gray hair-free) head - the same tiara Princess Margaret so loved.
Named the "papyrus tiara" as well as the "lotus tiara," it was created in 1923 by Queen Elizabeth II's mother, also named Elizabeth (but known in popular culture simply as The Queen Mum who had a sharp personal style and was played to sparky perfection by Helena Bonham Carter in The Kings Speech).
The tiara, originally a diamond and pearl necklace given to her by future husband King George as a wedding present, was transformed after the Queen Mum flexed her new royal muscle six months after their union and sent the Greek-style bauble off to royal jeweler Garrard to be refashioned into something she liked better: a looping, art-deco inspired tiara that to this day remains perhaps the chicest one in the vault. She wore the light, lovely Art Deco-inspired style, like a flapper, low and across her forehead, as well as princess style, perched regally atop the head, much like Kate did last night.
In 1959 the Queen Mum then passed it on to the glamorous Princess Margaret, who was often in the gossip columns for her nightclub antics and many suitors. The tiara's feminine sparkle made it one of her absolute favorites: she regularly wore it until her death, and even loaned the precious crown to her future daughter-in-law Serena Armstrong-Jones for her 1993 wedding to son Viscount Lineley.
Since then, however, the tiara has stayed in the vaults until it sailed into the spotlight atop the head of the newest generations royal fashion plate as she sped off to a diplomatic reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. Considering Kate has one of the greatest collections of jewelry at her disposal, it's kind of exciting to see her put on a tiara before she leaves the house. She's literally the only person who can legitimately do it. Well done, Princess Kate.
