The Royal Family extended a warm welcome to the Amir of Qatar on Tuesday, rolling out the red carpet for their state visit at Horse Guards Parade and later hosting a reception at Buckingham Palace attended by King Charles, Prince William and Princess Kate. In the evening, Royal grandeur was on full display as the Britain’s and Qatar’s elite gathered in their most splendid attire for a State Banquet.

During his address at this luxurious event, King Charles III hailed: “The United Kingdom is proud to be Qatar’s oldest friend in the Western world. We have a special bond founded on mutual respect which has stood the test of time.”

Queen Camilla dazzled the attendees, making a grand entrance at the palace ballroom with the ‘Kokoshnik’ tiara—a majestic piece showcasing 488 diamonds, elegantly set in classic white and yellow gold. A regal favourite, this halo-like diadem has graced Royal heads at numerous formal occasions and was much loved by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Remarkably, this illustrious tiara traces its origins back to 1888 when it was crafted for Princess and later Queen Alexandra, even though Queen Elizabeth was only the fourth monarch to wear it. Surprisingly, despite being the most pricey in the Royal Collection, it owes its existence to a unique form of crowdfunding by an ensemble of 365 women from high society, aptly known as the “Ladies of Society”.

In the late Victorian era, then Princess of Wales Alexandra was marking her silver wedding anniversary with her husband, later known as King Edward VII. Royal jewellery expert Lauren Kiehna has highlighted this significant event as a time when Britain’s elite would be anticipated to present lavish and opulent gifts, in an attempt to gain favour.

However, this era also signified the beginning of the downfall of the country’s land-owning nobility, many of whom began marrying wealthy American heiresses to support their failing estates. Despite this, four influential women in society managed to uphold their family’s honour by forming a committee to raise funds for an exceptional tiara.

Interestingly, these women represented a wide political consensus, with the Marchioness of Salisbury, wife of Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, and the Marchioness of Ailesbury, a key supporter of the opposition, leading the initiative. After rallying around 365 women from the aristocracy, they succeeded in raising £4,400.

Princess Alexandra was consulted on the design of the tiara and she did not hold back her preference for grandeur, requesting one that mirrored the heavy diamond halo-shaped tiara of her sister, the immensely wealthy Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia’s Romanov dynasty.

Originally, the crown jeweller Garrard crafted a tiara featuring 400 diamonds from 77 fringe pieces, set in white and yellow gold. This quickly became one of the Princess’ favourite accessories, worn frequently at Royal events.

However, it initially received mixed reviews. The Sydney Morning Herald likened it to “an exact copy of one possessed by her sister, the Empress of Russia,” and criticised it as “not a particularly beautiful object.”

Over time, the tiara was refined to its current state, boasting 488 diamonds with 61 fringe bars in a sleek halo design.

During Alexandra’s lifetime, the exquisite piece was occasionally lent to other royals, including her mother Queen Louise of Denmark, who was often photographed wearing it prior to Alexandra’s ascension to the British throne. Once refined, the Kokoshnik tiara was hailed as “among the handsomest of her jewellery possessions,” when she became Queen consort in 1901.

Following her death in 1925, the tiara was inherited by Queen Mary, who later passed it on to Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

The late Queen wore it during her significant 1953 Commonwealth Tour and repeatedly over the decades, often paired with other jewel-laden pieces, such as her heavy Coronation necklace.

Historian Lauren Kiehna noted that the Kokoshnik was: “one of the few tiaras that the Queen wore consistently throughout her entire reign.

“It has appeared on foreign tours and visits, at Royal premieres and performances, and at state banquets both in Britain and abroad.”

In its first significant appearance since the Queen’s passing, Camilla matched the Kokoshnik-style tiara with diamond earrings from her personal collection, along with a diamond necklace that also belonged to the late Queen and a ruby and diamond bracelet.