Meghan Markle's Original Tiara Wish
Meghan Markle reportedly wanted to wear the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara for her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry. The tiara had belonged to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and was on long-term loan to the bride. The choice aligned with royal tradition of using family jewels for the bride, and the design featured a central emerald surrounded by diamonds in a kokoshnik frame. According to reporting, the Queen initially supported the plan before the decision changed Forbes coverage of the tiara plan.
The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara was created by Cartier in 1919 for Lady Warwick and later given to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. It features a central Colombian emerald surrounded by a diamond frame with emerald drops. The piece had been loaned to multiple royal brides before Meghan, including Princess Margaret and Princess Diana. The design is a kokoshnik style, meaning a fringe of jewels framing the head, which is a traditional Russian-inspired silhouette in royal jewelry Victoria Model Management history of the tiara.
Why the Tiara Was Changed
The decision to change the tiara was reportedly driven by timing and the condition of the piece. The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara needed to be reset or polished, and the Queen's office informed the couple that it would not be ready in time for the wedding. The change was made weeks before the ceremony, and the bride switched to the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara, which had also been loaned to Diana in 1981. The replacement required a last-minute redesign of the veil and hair arrangement to accommodate the different tiara shape BBC News on the tiara change.
The Queen Mary Fringe Tiara is a diamond bandeau-style piece made in 1919 by Garrard for Queen Mary. It features a central arrangement of diamonds with a fringe of smaller stones along the headpiece. The tiara had been worn by Princess Diana on her wedding day and was later loaned to Catherine, Princess of Wales. The switch meant the final look relied on a different silhouette, with the fringe tiara sitting lower on the head than the original kokoshnik design House of Louis royal wedding tiara guide.
Other Tiaras Considered and Final Look
Reports indicated that several other tiaras were considered before the final choice, including pieces from the Queen's personal collection and the broader royal vault. The selection process involved consultations with the bride, the groom, and senior royal jewellers to balance tradition, timing, and the bride's preferences. The final look featured the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara set into a diamond tiara comb, with the veil pinned to create a clean, structured profile for the ceremony Harper's Bazaar on the final tiara choice.
The final tiara choice has since been referenced in coverage of royal wedding jewelry trends and public interest in the pieces used by modern royals. The switch from the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara to the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara is cited as an example of how last-minute logistical factors