Everything’s coming up roses for this princess.
Kate Middleton brought a rare tiara out of the royal vaults for the state banquet honoring South Korea’s president and first lady Tuesday night, wearing the Strathmore Rose Tiara that was owned by the Queen Mother — and the incredible diamond piece hasn’t been seen in public for almost a century.
The Princess of Wales, 41, shocked royal fans when she stepped out in the glittering headpiece at Buckingham Palace, wearing the tiara with a white Jenny Packham gown featuring cape-like flutter sleeves and gold rose embroidery.
The Strathmore Rose Tiara, which features five diamond flowers stretching across in a vine-like design, was gifted to Queen Elizabeth II’s mother, Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, in 1923.
Royal historian Jessica Storoschuk tells Pvnew Style that the Queen Mother “received it as a present from her parents, and wore the tiara in the bandeau setting several times in the early years of her marriage.”
Indeed, the Queen Mum — who became the Duchess of York after her marriage to the future King George VI — frequently wore the diamond tiara low on her forehead like a headband, which was a popular style in the 1920s.
However, the An Historian about Town blogger continues that the tiara is actually a convertible style and “can be worn in the bandeau style, upright like Catherine chose, or with the rose clusters worn as brooches.”
For the state banquet, which was held to mark the visit of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, the Princess of Wales chose to wear the piece on a velvet base, accessorizing the tiara with a pair of Queen Elizabeth’s diamond drop earrings and her blue Royal Victorian Order sash.
She added a glittering pair of Gianvito Rossi heels and a white satin clutch by Anya Hindmarch, pinning her yellow ribbon with the Royal Family Order of Queen Elizabeth II to her dress.
Storoschuk points out that the royal’s choice to wear the Strathmore Rose design — which was last seen in the 1930s — actually follows a tiara trend.
“Interestingly, three of the four tiaras that Catherine has worn have belonged to the Queen Mother: the Cartier Halo Tiara, the Lotus Flower Tiara, and now the Strathmore Rose Tiara,” she tells Pvnew Style.
“Given that Elizabeth was a key member of the Royal Family for eight decades, it is a smart decision on the part of the Royal Family to visually connect her with Catherine,” the historian adds.
As for Queen Camilla, 76, she also had a memorable tiara moment on Tuesday, wearing Queen Elizabeth’s show-stopping Burmese Ruby Tiara and accompanying jewelry for the first time.
Earlier in the day, the King and Queen, joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales, greeted their South Korean guests at the palace, with both Camilla and Catherine wearing colors from South Korea’s flag.
The Princess of Wales sported a red Catherine Walker cape over the bow-trimmed wool coat she wore for a 2021 Christmas carol concert, adding a red dress underneath and a matching hat, while Queen Camilla wore a blue coat and feather-trimmed headpiece.
While the Princess of Wales isn’t scheduled to join in on Wednesday’s events surrounding the state visit, we have a feeling she’ll be bringing plenty of holiday glamour soon enough.
