Meghan Markle only wore one tiara during her time as a working senior royal, which happened during her royal wedding with Prince Harry in 2018. Does this mean the Duchess of Sussex isn't allowed to wear this headdress?
British royalty has strict rules when it comes to wearing tiaras, and it can only be done on very special occasions. But compared to Meghan, Kate Middleton has already won three tiaras on eight occasions. Why is that so?
British Royalty's Strict Rules in Wearing Tiaras
According to Grant Harrold, etiquette expert and formal royal butler, via Express, "tiaras are traditionally a sign of marriage."
"So, normally, they can be worn by a bride on her wedding day, or after she gets married, she can wear one to any white tie event," he explained.
Women born as princesses in British royalty can also wear tiaras.
It's also possible for female members of the royal family to wear tiaras during state dinners and banquets, like Kate. However, compared to the Duchess of Cornwall, Meghan only attended one such event during her time as a working senior royal.
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Aside from her wedding day, the former actress was supposed to wear a tiara during her visit to Fiji in 2018. However, as wearing the said piece was seen as "reminiscent of a bygone era," it didn't happen.
She was also supposed to wear one during former U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the U.K. in 2019, but she was on maternity leave, making her unable to attend the state banquet.
Queen Elizabeth II Let Meghan Markle Chose Her Tiara on Her Wedding Day
Prince Harry revealed in his memoir, "Spare," that his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, let his then-soon-wife wear the tiara she would wear at their royal wedding.
A few weeks before the big event, Her Majesty invited the former Suits star to Buckingham Palace to choose a tiara that would match her Givenchy wedding gown.
"'Do come over,' I remember her saying," the Duke of Sussex wrote. "Extraordinary morning. We walked into Granny's private dressing room, right next to her bedroom, a space I'd never been in."
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A royal jewelry expert and the Queen's longtime stylist, Angela Kelly, were there, while Meghan was directed to choose among the five different headpieces.
"I stood behind, watching. One was all emeralds. One was aquamarine," he continued. "Each was more dazzlingly stunning than the last. Each took my breath."
"Granny said to Meg quite tenderly: 'Tiaras suit you'," he added. "Meg melted. 'Thank you, Ma'am'."
Meghan chose the diamond bandeau tiara, which stood out among the rest.
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"It was beautiful, seemingly made for Meg," he stated. "Granny said it would be placed in a safe directly, and she looked forward to seeing it on Meg's head come the Big Day."
Queen Elizabeth even gave Meghan some advice.
"'Make sure,' she added, that you practice putting it on. 'With your hairdresser. It's tricky and you don't want to be doing it for the first time on the wedding day'," Prince Harry recalled. "We left the Palace feeling awed and loved and grateful."
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