Predicting Meghan Markle's Wedding Tiara
Perhaps even more so than her dress, the tiara Meghan Markle wears on her wedding day (if she chooses to wear one at all) will make a statement about not only her style, but also her position within the royal family.
Here are a few tiaras we'd like to see top her hair come May 19.
The Strathmore Rose Tiara
While there isn't protocol regarding which types of tiaras can be worn to a wedding, historically those chosen tend to have a floral motif.
"The classical inspiration of some of these jewels were simple garlands of flowers, so brides do tend to favor this design in wreaths made of precious metals and gemstones," London jewelry expert Geoffrey Munn told T&C earlier this year.
With that in mind, the Strathmore Rose Tiara might be a perfect fit for Markle. The piece, which features rose-cut diamonds, was originally presented to the Queen Mother, then Duchess of York on her wedding day by her father, and she wore it low on her forehead, as was the style at the time. Per Munn's book, Tiaras, A History of Splendour, it can be worn on two different frames.
The Spencer Tiara
Immediately following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's engagement announcement, speculation started brewing about whether Markle would wear the Spencer Tiara on her wedding day.
The piece, which was worn by Princess Diana at her wedding to Prince Charles, is not in the royal collection (it belongs to the Spencer family), but according to royal expert Ingrid Seward, Markle will have the option to wear it, if she so chooses.
"Diana was very proud of her Spencer heritage and I think Harry will like his future bride to carry this tradition on," Seward told US Weekly. "She will not own the tiara but will have the choice to wear it if she wants to."
However, royal jewelry writer Ella Kay doesn't think we'll see Markle pay tribute to her late mother-in-law in this way.
"I think it's unlikely because Meghan is marrying into the Windsor family, not the Spencer family, so if she borrows a tiara, I think it will reflect her new royal status," Kay, who runs the blog, The Court Jeweller, tells T&C. "Also, I don't think that anyone would want to invite even more comparisons to Diana; her daughters-in-law get enough of that anyway."
The Queen Mother's Cartier Bandeau
Kay, instead, would like to see Markle in the Queen Mother's Cartier Bandeau, and we have to agree, it would be a striking choice.
"I'd love to see Meghan wear the Queen Mother's Cartier Bandeau, which is made of three gem-set bracelets on a bandeau frame. It's modern and sleek, but it's also a royal heirloom packed with diamonds," Kay wrote via email.
"The connection to the Queen Mother (who first owned it) and the Queen (who owns it now) would be a lovely touch. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if Meghan wears a new piece acquired just for her."
Something New Entirely
To Kay's point, there is a possibility that a new tiara will be commissioned for Meghan Markle's wedding day, and that could be either an entirely custom piece or a refashioning of other jewelry in the royal collection.
"Almost every royal bride who has married in Britain since the 1930s has worn a tiara on her wedding day, so it's a good bet that Meghan will, too," Kay says. "But she could choose to go without a tiara, or she could wear another kind of jeweled ornament in her hair."
Markle and her groom Prince Harry are clearly ok with breaking from tradition when it comes to their wedding, so perhaps it's best to expect the unexpected.
The one tiara we definitely won't see her wearing is the Cartier Halo.
That diadem, worn by Markle's soon-to-be sister-in-law Kate Middleton as she walked down the aisle in 2011, will be on display in Australia come May 19. More on that here.
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