Duchess of Gloucester Brings Her Daughter&x27;s Wedding Tiara Out of the Royal Vault for Rare Appearance Meredith KileThu, March 19, 2026 at 3:49 PM UTC 0 Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester arrive to attend a State Banquet at Windsor Castle on March 18, 2026Credit: Henry NICHOLLS / POOL / AFP via Getty Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, pulled a historic piece from the royal collection for the state banquet honoring the president and first lady of Nigeria She wore the Iveagh Tiara, a kokoshnikstyle crown originally made for Queen Mary Birgitte loaned the t...
Duchess of Gloucester Brings Her Daughter's Wedding Tiara Out of the Royal Vault for Rare Appearance
Meredith KileThu, March 19, 2026 at 3:49 PM UTC
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Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester and Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester arrive to attend a State Banquet at Windsor Castle on March 18, 2026Credit: Henry NICHOLLS / POOL / AFP via Getty -
Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, pulled a historic piece from the royal collection for the state banquet honoring the president and first lady of Nigeria
She wore the Iveagh Tiara, a kokoshnik-style crown originally made for Queen Mary
Birgitte loaned the tiara to her daughter, Lady Rose Windsor, for her wedding day in 2008
State banquets are an opportunity for members of the royal family to bring out some of their favorite fashions and meaningful jewelry, and this week's event in honor of the president and first lady of Nigeria did not disappoint.
In addition to Kate Middleton's flag-dressing gown and Princess Anne's recycled look from nearly 60 years prior, another impressive piece from the royal collection was worn by Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester: the Iveagh Tiara.
Originally made as a wedding gift for Princess Mary of Teck, the wife of the future King George V, the kokoshnik-style tiara features a tight crown of diamond scrolls and foliage designs, with round and drop-shaped diamonds.
According to the Royal Watcher, the tiara has not been altered or dismantled since it was gifted to Mary, who was photographed wearing it well into her 70s. Upon her death in 1953, it was inherited by her daughter-in-law, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.
Alice later gifted the tiara to Birgitte, the wife of her only living son: Prince Richard, a first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth, who is known by his royal title as the Duke of Gloucester.
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester photographed at home In Kensington Palace on their 17th Wedding AnniversaryCredit: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty
The Iveagh Tiara has not been one of Birgitte's most-worn tiaras, though she did don it for her 17th wedding anniversary portrait in 1989.
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Even more meaningful, the Duchess of Gloucester, 79, lent the tiara to her youngest daughter, Lady Rose, for her 2008 wedding to George Gilman.
George Gilman and Lady Rose Gilman (wearing the The Iveagh Tiara, also known as The Gloucester Leafage Tiara) leave The Queen's Chapel, St James's Palace after their wedding on July 19, 2008Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty
Princess Kate, 44, shocked royal watchers with her tiara choice at the German state banquet in December, wearing Queen Victoria's Oriental Circlet Tiara for the first time. However, she returned to an old favorite to honor Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and first lady Oluremi Tinubu.
For the first state banquet of 2026, the Princess of Wales paired her deep emerald gown—a nod to the Nigerian flag —with her go-to royal headpiece: Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara. It's no surprise that the princess's tiara was also one of Queen Mary's; the queen consort was an avid collector of jewelry, bolstering the crown jewels collection and even commissioning Garrard as the first official Crown Jeweler in 1843.
Kate Middleton at the Nigerian state banquet on March 18, 2026Credit: Aron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty
Meanwhile, Queen Camilla, 78, wore the Belgian Sapphire Tiara and its matching earrings for the glam banquet, choosing jewels from the late Queen Elizabeth's collection.
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Source: Entertainment
Published: March 19, 2026 at 12:09PM on Source: PRIME TIME
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