Why Kate Middleton does not own her tiaras – royal jewellery expert explains

The Duchess of Edinburgh stunned royal followers by carrying the Lotus Flower Tiara for the primary time on the Japan State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday night.

The diamond floral-themed headpiece was final seen on the Princess of Wales on the Diplomatic Reception in 2022, who was absent from the glittering occasion resulting from her ongoing most cancers remedy.

Sophie's look within the tiara has sparked questions amongst royal followers on social media about whose tiara it truly is.

Lauren Kihna's The Court Jeweller It explains why these jewels usually are not actually owned by the Princess of Wales and why they don’t seem to be a part of her private assortment.

she tells hi there!“All 4 crowns worn by the Princess of Wales belong to the monarch. They’ve beforehand been provided as loans by Queen Elizabeth II and extra just lately by King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Different jewelry, together with necklaces, brooches and earrings, has additionally been loaned to Kate for necessary events.”

Lauren provides: “The Lotus Flower Tiara that the Duchess of Edinburgh wore on Tuesday initially belonged to the Queen Mom. It now belongs to King Charles III. Kate has worn it as a mortgage from each the late Queen and the present King and Queen, but it surely has by no means been her private property.

“The British royal household hardly ever offers heirloom jewellery, akin to tiaras, as items. They like to mortgage jewellery to relations like Kate and Sophie, permitting for the jewellery to be worn however nonetheless guaranteeing it stays within the household assortment.”

In a uncommon transfer, the late Princess Margaret purchased her personal tiara forward of her wedding ceremony to Antony-Armstrong Jones.

She purchased the beautiful diamond Poltimore tiara at public sale in 1959 for £5,500, but it surely was initially made in 1870 by Garrard Home for Girl Poltimore, spouse of the 2nd Baron Poltimore.

Nonetheless, after Margaret's loss of life in 2002, the crown was bought at public sale by Christie's to a personal purchaser.

Crowning Moments of the Princess of Wales

Kate first bought to put on a tiara throughout her wedding ceremony to Prince William in 2011, when she was loaned the Cartier Halo tiara. The diamond headpiece was given to the Duchess of York by the late Queen's father, who was then the Duke of York, in 1936, earlier than they grew to become King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

Two years later, in 2013, the then Duchess of Cambridge unveiled the Lotus Flower Tiara on the annual Diplomatic Reception. It was initially a necklace and was gifted to the Queen Mom on her wedding ceremony day.

However Kate's mostly worn royal hat is the Lover's Knot tiara, which was synonymous along with her late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales.

The diamond and pearl tiara was initially made for Queen Mary in 1913 and was gifted by the late Queen to her new daughter-in-law when she married the then Prince Charles in 1981.

And in 2023, Kate delighted royal watchers when she wore the Strathmore Rose tiara to a state banquet in South Korea.

The then Girl Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later the Queen Mom) was given this floral headpiece as a marriage reward in 1923 by her father, the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne.

Though the tiara was handed on to her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, after the Queen Mom's loss of life in 2002, it hasn't been seen on a member of the royal household for many years.