The rare royal jewelry piece that Meghan Markle had to reject on her wedding day

The rare royal jewelry piece Meghan Markle rejected on her wedding day has been revealed by Prince Harry in his autobiography

The rare royal jewelry piece Meghan Markle rejected on her wedding day has been revealed by Prince Harry in his autobiography
(Image credit: Photo by Andrew Matthews - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prince Harry has revealed the rare royal jewelry piece that Meghan Markle rejected on her wedding day, as the bride decided to make a diplomatic decision. 


The Duke of Sussex revealed in his autobiography that his wife, Meghan Markle, was offered a treasured family heirloom to wear on her wedding day to Prince Harry. 

The Prince reveals that Princess Diana's sisters offered Meghan the Spencer tiara to wear on her wedding day to the Prince. This is a family heirloom that has been owned by the Spencer family for more than 200 years and was worn by the late Princess Diana at her own wedding and at a number of occasions after that.

Prince Harry writes that his mother's sisters (Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Baroness Jane Fellowes) offered Meghan the tiara and they were both more than happy to say yes - at first. "We were both touched," Harry wrote, "Meg then spent hours and hours with her dress designer, getting the veil to match the tiara, giving it a similar scalloped edge." 

Princess Diana

Princess Diana in the Spencer tiara

(Image credit: Getty Images)

However, the Prince then revealed that "Granny reached out" and offered the bride to be, "access to her collection of tiaras." The pair were then invited to Buckingham Palace so that Meghan could view the selection. 

The Prince then described the "extraordinary morning," and said, "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.”

Angela Kelly, who Harry described as the Queen’s “dresser and confidante” was also there and helped them choose from the five possible tiara options. "One was all emeralds. One was aquamarines. Each was more dazzlingly stunning than the last," he wrote.

"Granny said to Meg quite tenderly: Tiaras suit you. Meg melted. Thank you, ma’am," said Harry about a tender moment between his grandmother and his future wife. 

Prince Harry

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Prince concluded that the Queen Mary's diamond bandeau tiara stood out to the couple and was lent to Meghan by the Queen. The diamond bandeau is English and was made in 1932, with the entire brooch dating from 1893. Harry said the tiara was "seemingly made for Meg," and the pair left the palace, "awed and loved and grateful."

It was therefore decided that she would accept the Queen's kind offer and not wear the Spencer tiara for her special day. While this may have a shame for the Spencer family, there is another member of the Royal Family who will one day inherit this tiara.

Princess Diana's Spencer tiara is set to be inherited by the Queen's great-grandchild, Prince William and Catherine's only daughter, Princess Charlotte. The auction house, Sotheby's, revealed the tiara's future ownership. The catalog note on the Sotheby'spage revealed, "Having been worn by Princess Diana at her wedding, the Spencer Tiara is one of the most famous diadems in modern history." The note then revealed, "The Spencer Tiara is now set to be inherited by Princess Charlotte."

Laura Harman

Laura is the Entertainment Editor for woman&home who primarily covers television, film, and celebrity news. Laura loves drinking and eating and can often be found trying to get reservations at London's trendiest restaurants. When she's not wining and dining, Laura can also be found travelling, baking, and hiking with her dog.