Prince Harry’s ‘Ignorance’ Caused Him to Fly Into a ‘Rage’ After Queen Elizabeth Refused Meghan Markle’s First Choice of Royal Tiara for Her Wedding Claims Royal Expert
Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle — and the drama leading up to it — is recounted in a scandalous book. Royal expert Robert Lacey released Battle of the Brothers: William and Harry — the Friendship and the Feuds. In this insider look at the ongoing feuds in the royal family, Lacey claims that Harry flew into a “rage” after Queen Elizabeth II refused Meghan’s first choice of royal tiara.
Prince Harry ‘flew into a rage’ when the queen refused Meghan Markle’s first choice of tiara
On Meghan and Harry’s wedding day in May 2018, the Duchess of Sussex wore a stunning diamond headpiece known as Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau as part of her bridal ensemble. But rumors have swirled ever since that this was not Meghan’s first choice.
Lacey claims these rumors are absolutely true in his book. He says that Queen Elizabeth “felt that she had to say no” to Meghan’s first choice of tiara — described as a “beautiful emerald headdress” — because of its “sensitive origins.”
Megan chose the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara, a piece that made its way to the royal family “in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution.” When the queen denied Meghan’s request, Lacey says that Harry “flew into a rage.”
Buckingham Palace did not deny Robert Lacey’s claims
In his book, Lacey writes that the queen’s response to Meghan’s request included the mention that the tiara came “from Russia,” which he says is “code for sensitive origin.” He noted that there was “scandal attached to the tiara Meghan desired,” and it was “seldom, if ever, put on public display.”
Lacey noted that “Harry’s ignorance of both history and family tradition meant that he had no understanding of this subtlety.” The author added that Meghan’s tiara request and Harry’s angry reaction was “unconfirmed by the Palace, but was not denied.”
After denying Meghan’s request, Queen Elizabeth loaned her Queen Mary’s tiara for her wedding day — a piece that was made for the late queen’s grandmother in 1911. The former queen consort wore the tiara when she was crowned alongside her husband, King George V.
What are the ‘sensitive origins’ of the tiara that Prince Harry didn’t understand?
The Vladimir Tiara made its way to the House of Windsor through “undefined” channels after the entire Russian Imperial family — including Tsar Nicholas II, the cousin of King George V — was murdered. After the revolution, some of the jewels from the Romanovs made their way to the United Kingdom after they were smuggled out of Russia by a British antiques dealer.
Queen Mary later bought the tiara, which belonged to the Grand Duchess Vladmir, the wife of the tsar’s uncle. She was the last Romanov to escape Russia, and their royal jewelry was sold after her death to support her children.
Lacey writes in his book that if Meghan would have worn the tiara, the media speculation about which Russian princess had worn it previously and how she was assassinated would have been making headlines. And it wouldn’t have been a good look for Meghan or the palace.
