British jewellery designer Kiki McDonough, who is a favourite of the Princess, clarified: ‘Generally, tiaras are reserved for events starting after 5pm, which usually lends itself to hair that is elegantly swept up and off the face – and events held at night are much more likely to attract diadems.
‘As hairstyles have changed over the decades, the position and way in which a tiara is worn has also evolved to suit the tendency towards up-dos, rather than the flatter hairstyles of the 1920s and 30s.’
‘Bandeaux were also cleverly created so as to be easily dismantled and repurposed as dress clips, brooches, bracelets and chokers for different occasions, and then reassembled.’ Josie added.
She continued: ‘Princess Diana famously turned what had been Queen Mary’s 1920s Art Deco Emerald and Diamond Choker into a bandeau during the Royal Tour of Australia in 1985 – bringing a 60-year-old trend back to the forefront of fashion.’
She exhibited the reclaimed tiara in a series of portraits that were widely circulated for the 1937 coronation. Once again, it was positioned low across her forehead, in contrast to Kate, who wore it on top of her head.
King Charles, who now controls the royal jewellery collection, will have granted Kate permission to wear the Strathmore Rose Tiara yesterday evening.
He is known to have had a close relationship with his grandmother – and adores Kate. Earlier this month, Charles referred to the Princess as his ‘beloved daughter-in-law’ while giving a speech in Kenya.
The Princess of Wales chose a 100-year-old tiara at the extravagant State Banquet welcoming the President and First Lady of South Korea to the UK last night.
While this was the first time Kate, 41, has worn the dazzling Strathmore Rose Tiara, it was previously seen on the Queen Mother almost a century ago.
Interestingly, Kate positioned the floral diamond design two inches back from her hairline – in stark contrast to her husband’s great-grandmother, who wore the tiara across her forehead, in 1923.
FEMAIL asked Carol Woolton, author and podcaster of If Jewels Could Talk, what initiated this change, and she explained it’s largely down to comfort.
‘It’s not for nothing that they were tagged the “family fender” because they were heavy, headache-inducing material,’ she explained.
