While she may often get dressed up to the nines, the best Kate Middleton tiara moments only make up a handful of her official engagements over the years. Contrary to popular belief, the royals step out in the most regal of accessories on a small number of occasions.
The Princess of Wales is no different, having put on sparkly headwear in public just over a dozen times. She first wore a tiara when she walked down the aisle with Prince William in 2011. Since then, the mother-of-three has donned priceless headpieces almost entirely for special state banquets or glittering receptions for the Diplomatic Corps held at Buckingham Palace - often stealing the show for the best royal tiara moments.
Over the years, Kate has paired her sweeping ballgowns with a number of different tiaras from the royal vault - including the Cartier Halo Tiara and the Lotus Flower Tiara. However, the Lover's Knot Tiara, which was closely associated with Princess Diana, is her clear favourite. Prepare to be dazzled by these looks...
Best Kate Middleton tiara moments
Royal wedding to Prince William
Kate Middleton positively sparkled when she married Prince William at Westminster Abbey, London in 2011. The bride stunned in a white dress by Sarah Burton, the then-creative director at Alexander McQueen - but it was her tiara that stole the show.
Kate wore the Cartier Halo Tiara as a bride
Her 2011 wedding was the first time Kate - who was made Duchess of Cambridge on the day she married - had worn a tiara. She borrowed the Cartier Halo Tiara, made in 1936 by the French brand, from the late Queen Elizabeth for the special occasion.
Princess Margaret was a fan of the Cartier Halo Tiara
Before Kate wore it on her 2011 wedding day, the Cartier Halo Tiara - which was given by the Queen Mother to Queen Elizabeth - was previously worn by Princess Margaret. Perhaps one of its most important outings was for her sibling's Coronation in 1953.
Buckingham Palace reception 2022
The Princess of Wales wore a tiara to the annual Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in 2022. She paired the eye-catching accessory with a red sparkly Jenny Packham gown.
The princess and the Lotus Flower Tiara in 2022
For the first time since 2015, the princess wore the Lotus Flower Tiara at a reception for the Diplomatic Corps in 2022. It was previously owned by Queen Elizabeth's sister Princess Margaret, before being passed back to the wider royal family upon her death in 2002.
The Lotus Flower Tiara belonged to the Queen Mother
The Lotus Flower Tiara was first owned and worn by the Queen Mother. She had received a diamond and pearl encrusted necklace from the future King George VI as a wedding present in 1923 but tasked London jewellers Garrard with repurposing it.
South Korean state banquet
At the state banquet thrown in South Korea's honour in 2023, Kate stood out in a white Jenny Packham cape-style gown with gold detailing. She elevated her look with long white gloves and a satin-effect clutch bag - but it was her beautiful tiara which stood out.
The princess and the Strathmore Rose Tiara in 2023
For the South Korean state banquet in 2023, the Princess of Wales wore the Strathmore Rose Tiara. The piece - which features geometric flower shapes studded with diamonds - was making its first public appearance on the head of a royal in almost one hundred years.
The Queen Mother favoured the Strathmore Rose Tiara
The Strathmore Rose Tiara used to belong to the Queen Mother, who was the daughter of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. When she married the future King George VI in 1923, her parents gave her the piece - bought from Catchpole & Williams in London - as a wedding present.
Buckingham Palace reception 2023
The princess shimmered as she attended the annual Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in 2023. She wore a pale pink sequinned long-sleeved gown by Jenny Packham, along with a satin-effect clutch bag in a matching shade - but it was her tiara that commanded attention.
The duchess and the Lover's Knot Tiara in 2023
For the annual Diplomatic Corps reception in 2023, the princess wore the iconic Lover's Knot Tiara - which is made from diamonds and pearls. She has worn it the most out of all the tiaras she has been seen in over the years.
Princess Diana was linked to the Lover's Knot Tiara
Queen Mary - the great-grandmother of King Charles - commissioned Garrard to make the Lover's Knot Tiara in 1913. The piece was passed to the late Queen Elizabeth in 1953, who gave it to Princess Diana upon her marriage in 1981. However, after her 1996 divorce, it was returned to the royals.
Dutch state banquet
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands made a state visit to the UK in 2018. For a banquet at Buckingham Palace thrown in their honour, the then-Duchess of Cambridge stunned in a pale blue gown by Alexander McQueen and a beautiful tiara.
The duchess and Lover's Knot Tiara in 2018
The Duchess wore the Lover's Knot Tiara - her go-to piece for the most important of occasions - with her hair styled in a low bun. The sparkly headwear is particularly associated with Princess Diana, who wore it on numerous occasions.
Buckingham Palace reception 2016
We loved Kate's look for the annual Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in 2016. She wowed in a red short-sleeved Jenny Packham gown - also worn the year before at a Chinese state banquet. However, she swapped the head-turning tiara she wore to finish off the regal look.
The duchess and the Lover's Knot Tiara in 2016
The duchess posed beside Prince William at the annual Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in 2016 in the beautiful Lover's Knot Tiara. When Queen Mary commissioned the piece in 1913, it was actually based on another one owned by her grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse.
King Charles III's Coronation
In 2023, the princess pulled out all the stops for King Charles' Coronation. She wore the red and blue robes of the Royal Victorian Order over an ivory Alexander McQueen gown. In honour of the new monarch's green theme for the event, she accessorised with a sparkly 'flower crown'.
The princess wore a 'flower crown' at the Coronation
For the King's Coronation in 2023, the princess stepped out in a modern take on the traditional tiara. Her leaf-inspired headwear was a collaboration between Jess Collett and Alexander McQueen and was made from silver bullion as well as crystal.
Princess Charlotte twinned with her mother at the Coronation
Princess Charlotte wore a similar look to her mother, the Princess of Wales, at the King's Coronation in 2023. The youngster wore an ivory Alexander McQueen dress which she accessorised with a silver bullion and crystal flower crown designed by Jess Collett in collaboration with Alexander McQueen.
Buckingham Palace reception 2018
For the annual Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in 2018, the Princess of Wales looked pretty in a pale blue gown by Jenny Packham, featuring sparkly detailing throughout. For the important event, she also added a tiara.
The duchess and the Lover's Knot Tiara in 2018
The princess opted for the Lover's Knot Tiara at the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in 2018. While the late Queen Elizabeth - its previous owner - wore it frequently in the 1950s, she went on to favour other pieces in the royal collection.
US state banquet
All eyes were on Kate at the state banquet held at Buckingham Palace in honour of the United States in 2019. The royal mother-of-three wowed in a sweeping, ruffled white gown by Alexander McQueen - which she topped off with a tiara.
The duchess and the Lover's Knot Tiara in 2019
At the Buckingham Palace banquet held for the US state visit in 2019, the then-Duchess of Cambridge wowed in the Lover's Knot Tiara. The piece became associated with Princess Diana during her time as a working royal, however it is believed that she wore it less and less because it was so heavy it gave her a headache.
Chinese state banquet
The then-Duchess of Cambridge looked every bit the fully-fledged princess at a banquet held at Buckingham Palace in 2015 for the Chinese state visit. She paired a red Jenny Packham gown - which she would wear again the following year at a Diplomatic Corps reception, but with a different tiara.
The duchess and the Lotus Flower Tiara in 2015
For the Chinese state visit in 2015 - her first official state banquet since she joined the royal family - the duchess wore the Lotus Flower Tiara. The piece was a wedding present given to the Queen Mother by the future King George VI, which she then passed down to her youngest daughter Princess Margaret in 1959 shortly before her own nuptials.
South African state banquet
Kate was the epitome of elegance at the South African state banquet at Buckingham Palace in 2022. She stunned in a white caped gown by Jenny Packham - featuring sparkly detailing - which she elevated with a stunning tiara.
The duchess and the Lover's Knot Tiara in 2022
The South African state banquet at Buckingham Palace in 2022 marked nearly three years without the duchess wearing a tiara. For the important occasion, she wore her favourite Lover's Knot Tiara - which was originally made by her husband Prince William's great-great-grandmother Queen Mary in 1913 from another tiara.
Buckingham Palace reception 2019
The then-Duchess of Cambridge wowed at the annual Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in 2019. She wore a dark blue velvet long-sleeved gown, by Alexander McQueen, which allowed her tiara to do all the talking.
The duchess and the Lover's Knot Tiara in 2019
The duchess wore the Lover's Knot Tiara to the annual Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in 2019. The headpiece, which was commissioned by Queen Mary back in 1913, got its sweet name from the lover's knot bow motifs repeated along its length.
Buckingham Palace reception 2015
Kate wore the Lover's Knot Tiara for the first time in 2015, at the annual Diplomatic Corps reception held at Buckingham Palace, along with a pale blue Alexander McQueen gown - a peek of which was given as she arrived by car. It was a big moment since the headpiece hadn't been seen on the head of a royal since Princess Diana in 1991.
Spanish state banquet
For the Spanish state banquet at Buckingham Palace in 2017, the duchess wore the Lover's Knot Tiara for the third time. She paired it with a dusky pink Marchesa gown - a peek of which was given when she arrived by car.
Buckingham Palace reception 2017
The Duchess wore the Lover's Knot Tiara for a third year in a row at the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in 2017. It was styled beautifully with her low chignon, and photographers got a peek of it - along with the top of her sparkly white gown - as she arrived by the car.
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