The Princess of Wales wore regal rubies at Wimbledon last weekend, but she pulled off an even bigger ruby surprise in December, wearing Queen Victoria’s remarkable circlet for the German state banquet at Windsor.
On December 3, the Prince and Princess of Wales arrived in style for a state banquet at Windsor Castle honoring the visiting President of Germany. Catherine shimmered in a Jenny Packham gown with the insignia of the Royal Victorian Order and the King’s Royal Family Order, but it was her jewelry that caused an even bigger stir among royal watchers.
Kate’s tiara of choice for the night was Queen Victoria’s Indian Circlet, a jewel designed by Prince Albert when inspiration struck after his visits to the Great Exhibition of 1851. The piece incorporates Mughal arches in its design. It was originally set with Albert’s favorite gemstone, opals, but those were later replaced with rubies by a superstitious Queen Alexandra.
The circlet later became a dedicated favorite of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who wore it regularly from the 1930s until shortly before her passing in 2001. Before Catherine wore the tiara last December, it hadn’t been seen in public in a full two decades, most recently worn by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2005.
With the circlet, Kate wore a pair of diamond chandelier earrings that were loaned to her by Queen Elizabeth II in the months after her 2011 royal wedding. The earrings feature large pear-shaped diamonds in a delicate diamond surround.
While many were simply excited to see the circlet in public once again, others were concerned about the way that it was anchored in the Princess’s hair. In some photographs, including this one, the tiara seemed to be listing to one side. It’s a big piece that probably needs more a more substantial hairstyle base to anchor it. I’m hoping we’ll see Kate give it another try soon!
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