The weighty Windsor tiara gave her headaches
THE most magnificent heirloom worn by Diana — or any of the younger royals to date — the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara (sometimes known as the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot) is thought to be worth around half a million pounds.
It came into her possession via the Queen, who gave the diamond and pearl- drop headpiece to her new daughter-in-law as a rather generous wedding present.
The tiara’s history can be traced back to 1818, when it was given as a wedding present to the German bride of the Duke of Cambridge, King George III’s seventh son. Passed down several generations, the tiara eventually caught the eye of Queen Mary, wife of George V, who had her own copy made by the royal jeweller Garrard.
The tiara comprises diamonds and pearls from Queen Mary’s personal collection, set in silver and arranged in 19 arches capped with bows (or ‘lovers’ knots’), resting on a circular band of diamonds. On Mary’s death in 1953, it passed to her granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II. A spokesman for Garrard says Diana wore the tiara ‘an awful lot’, mostly for presidential banquets, gala dinners and formal portraits.
She felt it lent her a suitably regal air, but in private complained of its weight and said it gave her headaches if worn for too long.
After her divorce from Charles in 1996, the tiara returned to the Windsor vault. In December 2015, royal watchers were delighted to see the Duchess of Cambridge dust it off for the Queen’s annual diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace. Then again in 2016.