Kate Middleton is set for a major tiara moment this week at the state banquet for the Sultan of Oman at Windsor Castle. But before the Princess of Wales reveals her latest sparkling headpiece, several other royals and aristocrats have already stolen the spotlight with tiara moments of their own, turning one week into a glittering parade of royal jewels.
The first show-stopper came from Harriet Primrose, the Countess of Rosebery, who attended the British Museum Ball with her husband, Harry Primrose, the Earl of Rosebery. She wore the Cartier Valkyrie Tiara, a rare and dramatic piece designed by Lady Mary Crewe-Milnes, a former lady-in-waiting to the Queen Mother.
The design was inspired by the Valkyries, the winged female figures of Norse mythology, who became hugely popular in the late 1800s thanks to the famous Ride of the Valkyries music from the 1876 opera Der Ring des Nibelungen. According to reports, the tiara holds around 2,500 diamonds of many different cuts, set in a gold and silver frame. Its diamond wings sit on tiny coiled springs, so they move slightly as the wearer walks, and the wings can even be removed and worn as two brooches.
In Denmark, Queen Mary displayed a stunning new headpiece as she and King Frederik hosted a state banquet at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen for the President of Vietnam and his wife. The Queen debuted the latest redesign of the Queen Alexandrine Sapphire Tiara, a jewel packed with royal history.
According to the Danish royal household, the sapphire tiara was a wedding gift to Queen Alexandrine when she married the future King Christian X in 1898. Reports claim the gift came from Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra of Russia. After passing through generations of the family, the tiara was acquired by the Royal Collection in 2024, and Queen Mary redesigned it with the help of two jewellery designers. The new design is fully reversible, so the piece can now be worn as a tiara, a necklace or a brooch.
The sparkle did not stop there. The Swedish royal family also hosted a state banquet in Stockholm on the same evening, and it brought tiara moments from three royal women at once, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine. With Windsor, Copenhagen and Stockholm all glittering in the same week, royal jewellery fans have been treated to one of the richest tiara weeks in years.
All of this builds the pressure, and the excitement, for Kate's own moment tonight. This year, the Princess has returned to her core role in hosting state visits after taking time out of the spotlight during her cancer diagnosis and treatment in 2024. Many royal experts reportedly see her as a diplomatic secret weapon at these events. One royal biographer has claimed that Catherine is very aware of the spotlight on her, that she lights up the banquet table, and that she is already showing the traits of a remarkable future queen.
Experts also say these visits show the soft power of the monarchy at its best, the pomp, ceremony and show that Britain is famous for around the world. That is why the final question of the week is now so simple. After a winged diamond masterpiece, a redesigned royal sapphire and three Swedish tiaras, which historic jewel will Kate choose for her big Windsor night?
Key Takeaways
- Kate Middleton is set for a major tiara moment at the Oman state banquet at Windsor Castle this week.
- The Countess of Rosebery wore the Cartier Valkyrie Tiara, which reportedly holds around 2,500 diamonds and has moving wings.
- Queen Mary of Denmark debuted a reversible redesign of the Queen Alexandrine Sapphire Tiara from 1898.
- Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine all wore tiaras at a Stockholm state banquet.
- Experts reportedly see Catherine as a diplomatic secret weapon at state visits after her return to hosting duties.
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