Kate Middleton Effortlessly Revived A Vintage 1930s Tiara With This Modern Look

When the Strathmore Rose Tiara was first given to the Queen Mother in 1923 in honor of her wedding, the aristocratic lady was known as Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon and wasn’t even in line to become Queen Consort. However, her father, the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, wasn’t about to have his daughter head to the altar without a tiara. She was marrying royalty (the second son of King George V, the Duke of York) after all. In line with the flapper style of the era, the Queen Mother opted to place the floral topper across her forehead, much like a headband. 

The Queen Mother stepped out in the diadem on occasion throughout the ’20s, but it is thought to have been last seen publicly in the ’30s. Queen Elizabeth II inherited the tiara, which features diamond-encrusted flowers and leaves, after her mother’s death in 2002 but chose never to wear it to any royal events. So, upon reviving the vintage piece, Kate Middleton thought it was time for a modern twist.

She chose to wear it upright, on top of her head, as is common with her other toppers. According to The Court Jeweller, not only was the headpiece made to be versatile in its positioning, but the exquisite diamond flowers can be worn as brooches or replaced with sapphires. Kate looked gorgeous with the tiara in its simplest and possibly most stunning form, proving that this fashionable piece was ready for a comeback.