A Tiara Meghan Markle Wanted to Wear But Was Never Allowed to Is the Most Expensive in the Entire Royal Collection
Many royal watchers remember Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s wedding day and seeing the beautiful tiara the duchess wore that day. Some may also recall hearing the stories that came out later revealing that the headpiece wasn’t Meghan’s first choice as she had her eyes on another tiara. When the Duke of Sussex said his bride wanted to wear that one though, he was told “no” by Queen Elizabeth II.
According to several reports, the former Suits star had her heart set on a gorgeous tiara with emeralds but royal staffers explained that borrowing that specific diadem wasn’t an option. The Sun claimed that Harry and Meghan were not happy to hear that and the prince reacted by telling his grandmother’s aides, “What Meghan wants, Meghan gets.” However, the queen then stepped in and set everyone straight stating that the duchess “cannot have whatever she wants” and “gets what tiara she’s given by me.”
Here’s more on why Meghan was refused that particular tiara and the eye-popping amount the headpiece actually cost as it is the most expensive tiara in the whole royal collection.
The tiara Meghan wore on her wedding day
On May 19, 2018, Meghan donned Queen Mary’s bandeau tiara, a diadem that had previously not been seen in public since it was worn by Princess Margaret on her wedding day in 1965.
The diamond experts at the jewelry retailer Steven Stone took a closer look at the headpiece and estimated how much it’s worth.
Steven Stone’s creative director, Maxwell Stone, noted: “On Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s big day, Meghan was wearing an exquisite tiara that belonged to Queen Mary. Interestingly, the piece’s center stone is a brooch that’s comprised of 10 diamonds, which [Mary of Teck] received as a wedding gift from the County of Lincoln in 1893. In 1932, the diamond and platinum bandeau tiara was specifically made to accommodate the brooch. A piece like this is likely to be worth at least £2 million ($2.6 million USD).”
The tiara Meghan wanted to wear
The tiara Meghan initally wanted to wear but was refused, was worn by another royal for her wedding just six months later.
On Oct. 12, 2018, Princess Eugenie donned the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik for her nuptials to Jack Brooksbank. The stunning headpiece was actually the one Meghan had selected first.
There have been rumors that the reason the queen didn’t allow Meghan to wear it is because it was tied to controversy and thought to have come from Russia finding its way into the collection through undefined channels.
However, other reports claim that the diadem with its large striking center emerald diamond was created in 1919 by Boucheron for Queen Mary’s close friend, Margaret Greville. It was later given to the Queen Mother, which Queen Elizabeth II then inherited in 2002. It’s believed that the late monarch may have decided at an earlier date that the specific tiara would be the one her granddaughter would wear when she got married.
“The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara is made of rose-cut pave diamonds set in platinum and is adorned with six emeralds,” Maxwell Stone said. “The center features a 93.7-carat cabochon-cut emerald, which is what makes it so valuable. We previously estimated the distinctive diamond and emerald headpiece — made by the French jeweler Boucheron in 1919 — to be worth £10 million ($13 million USD), making it the most expensive of all the tiaras we’ve studied.
“Wearing emeralds is said to promote friendship, peace, harmony, and domestic bliss by enabling the wearer to both give and receive unconditional love. In ancient Greece and Rome, emerald was said to be the gemstone of the goddess of love, Venus, which is perfectly fitting for a royal bride.”
