Kate Middleton's Most Iconic Tiara Moments

On her wedding day to Prince William, Kate Middleton borrowed the Cartier Halo Tiara from Queen Elizabeth. The delicate diamond and platinum piece perfectly complemented her now-iconic Alexander McQueen gown.

While Kate has yet to re-wear the tiara publicly in the years following her wedding, jewelry enthusiasts hope to see it again, as it has a rich royal history. The topper dates back to 1936, when it was crafted by Cartier. While the piece was initially owned by Elizabeth, the Duchess of York (the future Queen Mother), it was given to the future Queen Elizabeth II on her 18th birthday.

The Duchess of Cambridge's first post-wedding tiara moment took place in December of 2013 at the annual diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace. For the formal event, she chose the Lotus Flower Tiara, which is also sometimes referred to as the Papyrus Tiara. Kate wore the piece with dangling earrings and what appears to be a pale blue gown.

The dainty tiara, which features both diamonds and pearls, was a favorite of Princess Margaret's, and was also worn by the Queen Mother in the years before her husband took the throne.

Kate wore the Lotus Flower Tiara once again in October of 2015, at a state banquet in honor of the president of China, Xi Jinping. On that occasion, she paired the sparking topper with a vibrant red gown.

Photographers aren't always allowed inside the annual diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace, so sometimes the only photos we see of the Duchess of Cambridge at these events are taken through her car window as she's arriving and leaving the party. In this image from 2015, a keen eye can just barely make out the edge of the Lover's Knot Tiara, one of Princess Diana's favorite pieces of jewelry.

Kate wore the Lover's Knot for a second time publicly in December of 2016 to the annual the diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace. Given that her late mother-in-law Princess Diana frequently wore the tiara, it obviously holds sentimental value for the Duchess of Cambridge, but the piece also has a distinguished royal history. Sometimes referred to as the Cambridge Lover's Knot, the tiara is, in fact, a replica of an earlier royal sparkler.

The tiara Kate wears was created for Queen Mary in either 1913 or 1914 by the House of Garrand from pearls and diamonds already owned by her family. She modeled it after her grandmother Princess Augusta of Hesse's headpiece, the original Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara, which is currently thought to be held in an unknown private collection.

By July of 2017, it was clear that the Lover's Knot was becoming one of Kate's favorite tiaras. Here she is wearing the piece with a plunging blush-colored Marchesa gown and a ruby-and-diamond necklace for a state dinner.

Kate chose the Lover's Knot Tiara for the annual Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace once again in 2017. That year, she paired it with a diamond necklace, and diamond and pearl earrings.

At a state banquet honoring King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, Kate paired the Lover's Knot with an icy blue dress, the Queen Alexandra Wedding Necklace, and her new royal order.

In late 2018, Kate wore the Lover's Knot tiara at the annual evening reception for members of the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace. Fortunately, photographers were allowed inside to capture this image of Kate in the tiara and shimmering gown by Jenny Packham. A bedazzled clutch, pearl earrings, and her yellow Royal Family Order completed the look.

For the banquet in honor of President Trump's state visit to the U.K., the Duchess of Cambridge relied on her favorite tiara to make her outfit sparkle. She paired the Lover's Knot with the Queen Mother's sapphire and diamond fringe earrings, and her new Royal Victorian Order.

For the first State Banquet hosted by King Charles, the newly minted Princess of Wales opted for the Lover's Knot tiara once again.

At the 2022 diplomatic reception, Kate paired the Lotus Flower tiara with a Jenny Packham gown.

Kate attended Jordan's Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif's wedding wearing the Lover's Knot Tiara with a sparkling Jenny Packham gown and Queen Elizabeth's Greville Chandelier Earrings.

For the South Korean state banquet, the Princess of Wales debuted a new tiara for the first time since 2015. She opted for the Strathmore Rose tiara, which is a floral headpiece that once belonged to the Queen Mother and hadn't been worn for nearly a century. According to The Court Jeweller, the piece was named after the Queen Mother, who was born as Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, daughter of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and given to her by her parents in the 1920s prior to marring the Duke of York. This is 4th style Kate has worn since marrying Prince William in 2011.

The Princess of Wales recycled the same outfit she wore to the Jordanian royal wedding earlier in the year for the Diplomatic Reception: a sequin Jenny Packham gown with the Lover's Knot Tiara and Queen Elizabeth's Greville Chandelier Earrings.