Here's why Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have never worn Princess Diana's wedding tiara
LONDON, UK: It is expected that, as daughters-in-law of the British Royal Family, Princess Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle would gain access to the jewels of their mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
While this may be true for most of the jewelry pieces owned by the former Princess of Wales, one item might be an exception: Princess Diana’s wedding tiara, per People.
The current Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex have frequently honored their late mother-in-law by wearing her jewelry, but they have never worn the sparkling tiara she donned for her 1981 wedding to then-Prince Charles—and it's unlikely they ever will.
Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have never worn Princess Diana’s wedding tiara
As the story goes, being the daughters-in-law of the Royal Family, both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle were expected to wear crown jewels belonging to the family.
Thus, for Kate’s 2011 wedding to Prince William at Westminster Abbey, the then-29-year-old Princess was lent the Cartier Halo Tiara from Queen Elizabeth’s personal collection.
Similarly, Meghan, 43, wore the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau Tiara from the royal collection for her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
However, the tiara worn by Princess Diana at her own wedding wasn’t a crown jewel. Rather, the sparkling headpiece is an heirloom property of the Spencer family, and bears the eponymous name - ‘Spencer Tiara’.
Following her wedding to King Charles, Diana borrowed the tiara from her family on several occasions. Despite this, the tiara has remained with the Spencer family for nearly a century. Diana’s sisters, Jane and Sarah, also wore the tiara at their weddings, as reported by The Court Jeweller.
The headpiece most recently appeared at the 2018 wedding of Princess Diana’s niece, Celia McCorquodale, according to People
Since the tiara is a cherished Spencer family heirloom, it’s unlikely that Kate or Meghan will ever wear it. This is also why the brides of Prince William and Prince Harry didn’t have the chance to wear their mother-in-law’s wedding jewelry.
Recently, Lauren Kiehna of The Court Jeweller revealed to Marie Claire that Kate and Meghan did not wear the Spencer Tiara on their wedding days because "it was never a royal tiara."
Kiehna explained, "While she was Princess of Wales, Diana often borrowed the tiara from her father and her brother [Charles Spencer, the 9th Earl Spencer], who still owns it now. Eventually, it will be passed along with the rest of the family estate to Earl Spencer's son, Viscount Althorp."
Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have worn Princess Diana’s other jewelry
While the wives of Prince William and Prince Harry have never laid their hands on the Spencer Tiara, they have been photographed wearing Princess Diana’s other jewelry pieces.
Kate Middleton has worn at least four different tiaras for occasions such as state banquets and palace receptions.
Moreover, when Prince William proposed to Kate in 2010, he did it with Diana's famous diamond and sapphire engagement ring.
During their engagement interview, the Prince of Wales shared, "It's my mother's engagement ring. I thought it was quite nice because, obviously, she's not going to be around to share in the fun and excitement of it all — this was my way of keeping her close to it all."
Similarly, Meghan also received another ring from Princess Diana’s collection, in addition to the late royal’s Cartier watch and other trinkets.
During her Nigeria tour with her husband, the Duchess of Sussex attracted controversy by wearing Princess Diana’s cross necklace in an inverted style.
