Kate Middleton made headlines in 2015 when she stepped out wearing a tiara which hadn’t been seen in decades: the Lover’s Knot tiara, one of Princess Diana’s most beloved pieces.
Since then, the tiara has become the Duchess of Cambridge’s go-to sparkle for state dinners, a tribute to the late mother-in-law she never had a chance to meet.
But when Kate becomes Queen Consort she'll probably have to switch up to an even grander piece of headgear.
When Prince William is crowned King of England, Kate will also be crowned Queen Consort “in a similar but simpler ceremony” according to the Royal Family's official website. According to The Sun, it is likely she will follow the last Queen Consort and wear the Queen Mother’s impressive crown.
The crown, which is currently on display at the Tower of London’s Crown Jewels exhibition, was made in 1937 by Garrard for the Queen Mother. It’s an impressive piece set with 2,800 cushion-, rose- and brilliant-cut diamonds, but there’s one which outshines them all: the gigantic Koh-i-Noor diamond which sits in the centre of the platinum frame.
Weighing 105 carats, the diamond was gifted to Queen Victoria in 1849 and has been set in a number of other crowns previously.
The Queen Mother famously wore the crown during her and King George VI's joint coronation, as well as during her daughter Queen Elizabeth's coronation in June 1953. It was also placed on top of her casket for her funeral procession in 2002.
The diamond was gifted to Queen Victoria in 1856 as “a gesture of gratitude for British support during the Crimean war” according to the Royal Collection Trust’s website.
However, the diamond has a long and controversial history spanning centuries, part of a dispute between India and Britain that has seen the Indian government ask for the diamond to be returned to the country. (India’s solicitor-general Ranjit Kumar later said in 2016 that the diamond “cannot be said to be forcibly taken or stolen as it was given”, which was seen by some as a denouement to the row.)
The Koh-i-noor diamond is also believed to be “cursed”, with many of its former owners suffering grim and bloody deaths.
The Queen Mother’s crown also features an ermine fur trim, amethyst velvet and an arched platinum frame with fleur-de-lis and crosses-pattee set with diamonds.
It is also topped with a pave-set monde and cross which shows off yet another gigantic sparkler - a crystal replica of the 22.48 carat Lahore diamond (the original Lahore diamond is part of a Coronation necklace that has been worn by both Princess Margaret and the Queen).
The crown weighs half a kilogram, bringing truth to the saying ‘heavy is the head that wears the crown’.
Before Kate Middleton wears the crown, her stepmother-in-law Camilla Parker-Bowles will most likely be the first to wear it when Prince Charles becomes King.
Given the crown’s past controversies, the Royal Family could decide to opt for a piece with a less chequered history.
