Princess Kate wears rare floral tiara to Buckingham Palace state banquet

Princess Kate wears rare floral tiara to Buckingham Palace state banquet

The tiara once belonged to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

ByAngeline Jane Bernabe and Jacqueline Laurean Yates

November 22, 2023, 1:51 PM

Princess Kate donned a stunning tiara for a formal event at Buckingham Palace this week.

The tiara was previously owned by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, the late monarch Queen Elizabeth II's mother, and has spent much of the past several decades in the British royal vaults.

Known as the Strathmore Rose Tiara, it features floral details in an unusual, delicate setting. The Queen Mother originally wore it for several official portraits in the 1920s.

On Tuesday night, Kate paired the tiara with a white, floor-length gown with diamond-details for an official state banquet.

This is the first time the dazzling headpiece has been seen since the 1930s, and the Princess of Wales is only the second person to wear it publicly.

Britain’s Catherine, Princess of Wales (L) and South Korea’s Deputy Prime Minister Choo Kyung-ho arrive for a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in central London on Nov. 21, 2023, for South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee on their first day of a three-day state visit to the UK.Yui Mok/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

According to The Court Jeweller, the tiara was originally a gift from the Queen Mother's father, the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, when she married Prince Albert, who later become King George VI, Elizabeth II's father.

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales attend the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on November 21, 2023 in London.Yui Mok-WPA Pool/Getty Images

Queen Camilla, who was also in attendance at Tuesday's state banquet with her husband King Charles III, was equally stunning in a red velvet gown by Fiona Clare, a blue sash and glittering jewels. She finished her look with the Burmese Ruby Tiara, which features rubies and diamond details.

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The Burmese Ruby Tiara was designed by Garrard and commissioned by Elizabeth II in 1973. Elizabeth was seen wearing it during a state visit with former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019, as well as during a South Korean state visit in 2004.

Queen Camilla poses for photos ahead of the State Banquet at Buckingham Palace on Nov. 21, 2023 in London, England. King Charles is hosting Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee on a state visit from November 21-23.Yui Mok-WPA Pool/Getty Images

Tuesday's star-studded white-tie event, which was attended by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee, as well as Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé of the K-pop group BLACKPINK, honored South Korea's political and economic advances.

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