The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will celebrate their Silver Wedding Anniversary tomorrow! The Duchess of Edinburgh’s Wedding Tiara was created from leftover elements of Queen Victoria’s Regal Circlet 25 years ago, but has now undergone another transformation!
The Diamond Tiara was originally composed of four anthemion diamond elements, which came from the Queen’s private collection and were designed and remodelled into a Tiara by the Crown Jeweller David Thomas . The anthemion elements were originally elements that could be put on Queen Victoria’s Regal Circlet, created in 1859, which had it’s diamonds reset for the Crown of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother in 1937.
The Queen had given Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara as a Wedding Gift to Diana, Princess of Wales, while Sarah, Duchess of York received the newly purchased York Diamond Tiara, but no doubt Prince Edward’s passion for his family history inspired his bride’s Tiara.
The new Countess of Wessex debuted her Wedding Tiara for the Wedding Service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, paired with a Black and White Pearl Suite designed by Prince Edward.
Two years later, the Countess of Wessex wore her Wedding Tiara for the Wedding of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway in Oslo.
Months later, the Tiara was worn by the Countess of Wessex for a State Banquet at Windsor Castle during the Jordanian State Visit to Britain in 2001.
The following year, the Countess of Wessex wore her Wedding Tiara for the Wedding of Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and Ari Behn in Trondheim in 2002.
The Wedding Tiara was also worn by the Countess of Wessex at the Wedding of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in Copenhagen in 2004.
Over the years, the Countess of Wessex was rarely seen at State Banquets, but you could spot her wearing the Wedding Tiara during a Banquet for the President of Ghana at Buckingham Palace.
In 2010, the Countess of Wessex wore her Wedding Tiara for the Wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden in Stockholm.
The last appearance of that version of the Tiara was worn by the Countess of Wessex for the Wedding Ball of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco in 2011.
While she has primarily worn her Aquamarine Tiara over the last decade, the Wedding Tiara underwent a transformation with the side elements brought closer together, which was debuted by the Countess of Wessex for the American State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in 2019. With the now Duchess of Edinburgh expected to attend two State Banquets next week, maybe the Tiara will make another reappearance?
