Fast forward to 1901 when, upon Queen Victoria’s passing, her daughter-in-law Queen Alexandra inherited the headpiece. With opals now thought to be unlucky, Alexandra had them all replaced subbing in rubies instead, which are easily seen on Catherine last night.
Later on, when the Queen Mother inherited the Oriental Circle, it was a beloved piece. In fact, it was such a favorite that when her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, ascended to the throne in 1952 and was expected to gain possession of it, she chose not to, instead allowing her mother to keep it as her own. This meant that the tiara didn’t pass to Queen Elizabeth II until 2002, when the Queen Mother died. In the time since, Queen Elizabeth II wore it only once on a visit to Malta in 2005.
That brings us to last night: Catherine’s choice to wear this particular tiara to the German state dinner is thought to be a nod to Prince Albert, who was of German descent, but also a nod to Queen Elizabeth II, too. Also significant: The fact that Catherine’s decision to wear it puts a brand-new tiara in royal rotation when the Princess of Wales has largely leaned on the same four since marrying William in 2011. (Previously, she’s appeared in the Lotus Flower Tiara, the Strathmore Rose Tiara, the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot Tiara and the Cartier Halo Tiara, which she selected to wear to her wedding.)
As for the Oriental Circlet? Catherine looked great in it—but we love that her choice also was a history-making moment in more ways than one.
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