13 years ago, Kate Middleton captivated the world on her wedding day — the 29th of April 2011. Clad in a stunning white lace gown, she crowned her look with the Cartier Halo Tiara.
To celebrate the Prince and Princess’s 13th wedding anniversary, let’s look at the exquisite treasure in detail and speculate about when we might see it again!
A masterpiece of design:
The Halo Tiara is a masterpiece of design, exhibiting the finesse of Cartier’s craftsmanship. Here’s a proper look at the piece:
The tiara features a stunning arrangement of scrolls, each intricately set with numerous brilliant-cut diamonds. It’s fashioned from platinum.
According to The Royal Collection, the tiara features “16 graduated scrolls, set with 739 brilliants and 149 baton diamonds, each scroll divided by a graduated brilliant and with a large brilliant at the centre.” That’s a whole lot of bling!
Although the tiara postdates the Art Nouveau movement, it does lean into the style with its fluid, graceful scroll-like designs.
I suspect the Cartier Halo Tiara’s modest size and understated appearance made it an attractive choice for Kate. The lack of domineering, colourful central gems and elegant, timeless design are befitting of a royal bride.
The Tiara’s History:
The Halo tiara dates back to 1936. It originally belonged to Prince William’s great-grandmother, then Queen Elizabeth (later known as The Queen Mother). King George VI asked Cartier to create the exquisite piece as a wedding anniversary gift for his wife. The gem is listed on the Royal Collection website as ‘Queen Elizabeth’s Halo Tiara’.
The Queen Mother gifted the tiara to her daughter—Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) on her 18th birthday.
Queen Elizabeth II loaned the tiara to Kate on her wedding day.
Fun fact:
According to several news sources, Kate nearly didn’t wear a tiara on her wedding day! She originally planned to wear flowers in her hair.
Royals Who Have Worn The Tiara:
Several royal ladies have worn this beautiful tiara. The Queen Mother wore it numerous times before gifting it to her firstborn daughter—then Princess Elizabeth—in 1944.
However, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) never wore the gem publicly. Instead, she loaned it to her sister, Princess Margaret, who wore it many times. Below, the Princess wearing the Cartier Halo Tiara during a visit to Jamaica in 1962.
Elizabeth also loaned the tiara to her daughter, Princess Anne. Anne wore the sparkling jewel to the 1967 State Opening of Parliament — her first-ever tiara appearance at just age 17.
It was the last time the tiara was seen before Kate’s 2011 wedding.
Which leads us to ask… when do you think we’ll see the tiara again?
Future:
It’s fun to speculate about the Cartier Halo Tiara and wonder when it’ll make its next public appearance. Will Kate keep it in reserve for a momentous occasion? Or, will it quietly sit in the vault for decades until the day Princess Charlotte chooses it for her own wedding?
