During the Oman state banquet on October 20, 2026, held at Windsor Castle, both Princess Kate and Queen Camilla wore tiaras with a fascinating shared history that relates back to Queen Mary. This opulent evening served to welcome Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman, with several members of the British royal family in attendance, including King Charles and Prince William.
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Princess Kate, the Princess of Wales, chose to complement her stunning yellow gown by Elie Saab with Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara. In contrast, Queen Camilla adorned herself with the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, an ornament famously cherished by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Each suit was designed to reflect the grandeur of the occasion while highlighting the rich legacy of these historical pieces.
The royal tiaras both have their origins in the life of Queen Mary, the wife of King George V, and later grandmother to Queen Elizabeth. An intriguing aspect of their history includes a time when pearls were exchanged between the two tiaras, adding layers to their storied pasts. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara was a wedding gift to Queen Mary in 1893, a project funded by Lady Eva Greville and others aiming to support the families of sailors who tragically lost their lives aboard the HMS Victoria.
Initially featuring fourteen upright pearls, the tiara’s original design underwent changes when Queen Mary exchanged the pearls for diamonds and repurposed them into a new creation—the Lover’s Knot Tiara—commissioned in 1913. This design drew inspiration from the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara that belonged to her aunt, the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Although the pearls initially graced the Lover’s Knot Tiara, they have since been replaced, leaving a diamond-studded headpiece adored by generations of royals.
The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara was granted to Queen Elizabeth II by her grandmother as a wedding present upon her marriage to Prince Philip in 1947. The tiara, which the late monarch affectionately nicknamed “Granny’s Tiara”, became one of her signature pieces over her long reign. Queen Elizabeth adorned the tiara numerous times in official portraits as well as on royal tours, bringing it to locations including Sierra Leone, Luxembourg, Papua New Guinea, California, and Singapore.
In contrast, the Lover’s Knot Tiara, also a legacy of Queen Mary, found its way to Queen Elizabeth, who wore it during the early years of her reign. However, when Prince Charles wed Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, the tiara was lent to her, and it quickly became indelibly linked to the then-Princess of Wales. Princess Kate first donned the Lover’s Knot Tiara during a state event in 2015, and it has since become a cherished part of her royal wardrobe, outshining the other five tiaras she has worn since becoming a royal.
Within the elegant atmosphere of the Oman banquet, Kate and Camilla were not the only royal women adorned in tiaras. Princess Anne chose the Meander Tiara, originally belonging to her paternal grandmother, Princess Alice, while the Duchess of Gloucester showcased the Honeysuckle Tiara. Each piece represented not only individual style but also a connection to royal heritage, highlighting the enduring tradition of regal adornment within the British monarchy.
As royal occasions continue to unfold, the historical significance of these tiaras—along with their artistic craftsmanship—remain a point of fascination for many. The stories woven into their gemstones continue to endure, reflecting the legacy of the women who have worn them and the traditions they represent.