A Wedding Tiara for Eugenie?

Jack Brooksbank and Princess Eugenie attend the 2016 Chelsea Flower Show (Photo: Heathcliff O’Malley – WP Pool/Getty Images)

Rumors are rife at the moment that an engagement announcement may be imminent for Princess Eugenie of York. Eugenie, who is eighth in line to the British throne, is an associate director at a London art gallery. She’s been in a relationship with Jack Brooksbank, who runs a nightclub in London, for six years.

This weekend, Camilla Tominey broke the news that Eugenie is planning to move to a cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace ahead of a wedding to Jack in 2017. Though the Duchess of York swiftly denied the story, the move to KP has been widely reported, and Tominey has stood by her sources on the entire story.

If a royal wedding really is on the horizon, it’s time to start wagering on a wedding tiara, isn’t it? Regardless of the location or size of the guest list, each of the weddings in Eugenie’s royal generation so far — those of Peter Phillips, the Duke of Cambridge, and Zara Phillips — have featured brides wearing tiaras. Here are some of my early guesses for Eugenie’s bridal diadem…

The wedding of the Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The antique diamond tiara worn by Sarah Ferguson at her wedding to Prince Andrew in 1986 is likely still with the family. We know that Sarah kept it after their divorce, because she later wore it to white-tie events, including Elton John’s annual tiara ball. Eugenie is reportedly very close to both of her parents and has been a champion of their friendship post-divorce, so wearing her mother’s wedding tiara could be a way to honor their relationship and family on her own wedding day.

The Duke and Duchess of York, later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Eugenie is often said to resemble her great-grandmother, the late Queen Mum, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she wore a tiara from the collection of her “Gan Gan” on her own wedding day. I think the Strathmore Rose, a lovely nineteenth-century diamond floral tiara, would suit Eugenie quite well. Although the Queen Mother usually wore the piece low across her brow, the tiara has a second frame that allows it to be worn more traditionally — perhaps with a bridal veil. (Read more about this tiara’s history over here!)

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (Photo: Screencap)

If Eugenie goes for something less romantic and more geometric for a bridal ensemble, perhaps the art deco bandeau owned by the Queen Mum would fit the tiara bill? The Queen currently owns this piece, which is made of three bracelets set on a bandeau frame. We’ve only seen the Queen wear the bracelets in public, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the tiara frame is also still in the BP vaults. This tiara could go well with a bridal look that’s a little edgier but still vintage. (Read more on this tiara over here!)

Queen Elizabeth in her official coronation portrait (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

There’s another tiara from the Queen Mother’s collection with a more obvious bridal history: the diamond fringe tiara commissioned by Queen Mary. It was worn by the Queen on her wedding day in 1947, and Princess Anne also borrowed it for her first wedding in 1973. I love a good diamond fringe on bride — when worn correctly, they make her look like she’s a shimmering ray of sunlight. (Read more about this tiara over here!)

A runway model wears a flower crown in Berlin, June 2016 (Photo: Peter Michael Dills/Getty Images for IMG)

When Eugenie’s parents married, her mother famously arrived at Westminster Abbey wearing a bright crown of flowers. Her tiara was hidden underneath the blossoms and was only revealed after the marriage certificate was signed and she was officially a princess. Flower crowns are back in vogue, especially with Eugenie’s generation, so perhaps we’ll see her honor both trend and family tradition by eschewing gemstones altogether and donning a crown of flowers instead?