Earlier this week, the Queen’s eldest granddaughter, Zara Phillips Tindall, celebrated her birthday. As part of our week-long Sparkling Spotlight on May royal birthdays, we’re turning our attention today to her heirloom royal wedding tiara.
Zara Phillips, the daughter of the Princess Royal, arrived at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh for her wedding to rugby player Mike Tindall on July 30, 2011. She was accompanied by her father, Captain Mark Phillips, as she arrived for the ceremony.
Beneath her tulle veil, Zara wore pieces of antique royal jewelry loaned to her by her mother, Princess Anne.
She secured her veil with Princess Andrew’s Meander Bandeau, a diamond tiara that originally belonged to her great-grandmother, Princess Alice of Battenberg (who is also known by her married title, Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark). The sleek, classic diamond bandeau features neoclassical motifs like meander (or Greek key) designs, anthemions, and a central laurel wreath element. Princess Alice gave the tiara to the Queen as a wedding present in 1947, and in turn, the Queen later gave it to Princess Anne.
Zara added even more sparkle with a pair of diamond frame earrings that belong to her mother. The earrings, plus a coordinating diamond festoon necklace, were Princess Anne’s 18th birthday present from her parents, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.
For the couple’s official wedding portraits, taken after the ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Zara removed her veil and let the royal diamonds take center stage.
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