Will Meghan Markle Buck The Royal Trend And Forego a Tiara On Her Wedding Day?
So Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are finally going to tie the knot. Here at The Boutique we couldn’t be more excited! We just love a royal wedding, even though we’re not going to be getting a day off for this one (hmpphhh).
But the big question on our minds, as one of London’s biggest wedding hair accessories shops, is… Will Meghan Markle buck the royal trend and forego a tiara on her wedding day?
Meghan is so well known for having a strong sense of fashion, and indeed a strong sense of her own self. As a self-proclaimed feminist, will she be swayed by the sparkly beauty of all those tiaras, or will she stick to her guns and rock her own wedding day style?
Of course, there is a very long history of royal brides wearing tiara bling in their hair on their wedding days. The Palace is said to have an enormous collection of diamond tiaras, which are frequently out on loan to princesses and royal wives for big events.
Let’s take a look at the famous royal brides who did wear a tiara on their wedding (and this list could go on for a long time!).
Most recently then, Kate Middleton was loaned The Carter Halo Scroll Tiara to wear on her wedding day in 2011. Originally made in 1936, it was commissioned by King George as a gift to his wife. Kate has since worn tiaras on many official occasions, including wearing the stunning Lotus Flower Tiara for a dinner with the Chinese at a state banquet. Kate’s clearly not tiara shy!
Lady Diana of course didn’t have to go cap in hand to the queen looking for a tiara for her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981. Her family had their own tiara (why, doesn’t yours??) - the Spencer Tiara. The Spencer Tiara had been in the Spencer family for almost a century, and was worn by both Diana’s mother and sisters on their wedding days.
Even lesser royal brides, more distant to the throne, wear diamond tiaras on their wedding day. Rose Astor wore The Heathcote Tiara in 2005. Sophie, Countess of Wessex, wore an unknown tiara at her wedding to Prince Edward in 1999, which was later revealed to have come from the Queen’s private collection. Lady Melissa Percy - wore The Northumberland Tiara (dating back to 1845) at her 2013 wedding to Thomas Van Straubenzee.
Zara Phillips wore The Meander Tiara in 2011. It originally belonged to Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark, was handed down to Queen Elizabeth II, who gave it to Princess Anne, who loaned it to Phillips for her wedding day.
Now how about some royal brides who stood their ground and went against the royal tiara tradition?
Back in 1923, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon bucked the long standing tiara trend at her wedding to King George VI (then the Duke of York). Instead, Queen Elizabeth opted for myrtle in her hair along with two white roses on either side of her Juliet cap. Of course she was not expecting to become queen when in 1936, George’s brother Edward VIII abdicated to marry divorcee Wallace Simpson!
Perhaps most famously, Grace Kelly decided she was enough sparkle all by herself. So at her wedding to Prince Rainier III in 1956, instead of a tiara, Grace Kelly simply rocked her exquisite beaded lace Juliet cap.
Meanwhile in Norway, Sonja Haraldsan opted for fake flowers in her hair (yes you read that right!) instead of a diamond tiara in 1968. What girl chooses fake flowers over diamonds??? But yes, like so many other brides in the 1960s she went for faux flower to match her simple 60s wedding dress.
And what about Camilla Parker Bowles? She most certainly did not wear a tiara for her marriage to Prince Charles. Instead she opted for a rather large gold feather headdress by Philip Treacy.
So what will Meghan Markle choose to wear on her wedding day as she steps into the royal family’s circle?
While Meghan certainly has her own sense of style, we think she is probably keen to keep the royals on side. But perhaps she might take a page out of Fergie’s book (although hopefully not too many pages!). When Sarah Duchess of York married prince Andrew in 1986, she wore a fairly enormous flower crown over her veil on her way into Westminster Abbey. When she exited the abbey, the flower crown had been removed to reveal a diamond tiara underneath.
So perhaps Meghan will do the same. Rock her own style, but making sure she doesn’t ruffle any royal feathers at the same time.
As well as being one of the top London Wedding Hair & Makeup Artists,Tori co-owns The Boutique in Fulham, a London Bridesmaid Dresses Shop along with Victoria. Victoria owns Victoria Millésime, a luxury handmade wedding hair accessories company. If, like Meghan Markle, you will soon marry your prince and aren’t lucky enough to get your tiara on loan from the queen, visit The Boutique to try on our wide range of tiaras, bridal headpieces and wedding hair vines.