Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot, Cartier Halo and More Crowns Princess Kate Has Worn During Royal Duties

These sparkling tiaras are Princess Kate’s crowning glory! She doesn’t own these pricey pieces, but they’re at her disposal courtesy of the Crown. Here are some of the historic gem-encrusted toppers the 44-year-old future Queen of England has worn during her royal duties.

Oriental Circlet

It was only proper for Kate to sport Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara at the German State Banquet at Windsor Castle on Dec. 3 — the topper was designed in 1853 by German-born Prince Albert for his wife, Victoria. The circlet features opals and more than 2,600 diamonds forming lotus flowers and Mughal-style arches.

Cartier Halo

British aristocratic tradition calls for a bride to wear her ancestral tiara on her wedding day, but as a “commoner” Kate didn’t have one, so Queen Elizabeth II loaned her this headband for her big day in 2011. The Cartier Halo features 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baguette-cut ones in platinum settings. Elizabeth was gifted this lightweight “starter tiara” for her 18th birthday by her mother, and she often loaned it to her younger sister, Princess Margaret.

Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot

History literally goes to Kate’s head in this tiara. Commissioned in 1913 by Queen Mary, wife of King George V, the diamond knots and pear-shaped pearl drops are replicas of the Gothic revival lover’s knot possessed by Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. The tiara was passed on to Queen Elizabeth, who gifted it to Kate’s mother-in-law, Princess Diana, for her exclusive use for life as a wedding present. Despite it’s headache-triggering weight, it is Kate’s sentimental favorite.

Lotus Flower

One of Kate’s favorites. She was the Duchess of Cambridge when she wore it for the first time during her second-ever appearance in a tiara at a diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace in December 2013. The unique Egyptian-style headdress with stylized lotus flowers and arches was created from a necklace for the Queen Mother in 1923. Kate has worn the garland at least three times.

Strathmore Rose

Kate donned this gorgeous topper for a state banquet for South Korea in November 2023 — the first time it had been seen in public in nearly a century! It was gifted to future Queen Mother Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon by her father, Lord Strathmore, on her 1923 wedding day to future King George VI. Queen Elizabeth never wore it during her long reign. The tiara is in the flapper design of the Roaring Twenties and has detachable roses that can be worn as brooches.