Today, Princess Beatrice celebrates her 35th birthday—and we’re joining in with a closer look at her excellent surprise tiara appearance from earlier this year.
On June 1, Princess Beatrice and her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, were guests at the grand royal wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa of Jordan in Amman. They weren’t official representatives of King Charles III at the event—that role was filled by the Prince and Princess of Wales—but instead attended as friends of the bride and groom.
A spectacular white-tie banquet was held in Amman to celebrate the couple on the night of the wedding, with tiaras and gowns aplenty. Princess Beatrice sparkled in a pale pink gown with golden beaded embellishments, made by Reem Acra.
Interestingly, it was the second time we saw the Reem Acra dress that day! It was also worn for the wedding ceremony by the groom’s aunt, Princess Aisha.
With the glamorous gown, Princess Beatrice reached for diamond accessories, including a pair of diamond earrings from her personal collection and a family tiara that had been the subject of numerous rumors for years.
She borrowed the York Diamond Tiara from her mother, Sarah, Duchess of York, for the trip. The diamond scroll tiara was made in the 1980s by Garrard.
The first appearance of the tiara was on Beatrice’s parents’ wedding day in London in July 1986. On the day, the palace briefed the press that the tiara was “lent by a family friend.” Later on, though, it was revealed that the tiara had been purchased for Sarah by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as a wedding present. It’s all a very intriguing beginning to a royal tiara story.
This was the only tiara that Sarah wore during her six years as a member of the royal family, so we saw her sporting it frequently for receptions, banquets, and galas.
After her divorce, she retained the tiara as her personal property and wore it occasionally. If my notes are correct, we last saw her wear the tiara in public at Elton John’s White Ties and Tiaras Ball in Windsor in July 2001.
With the tiara out of sight for more than two decades, and both of Sarah’s daughters choosing different diadems (the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik and Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara) for their royal weddings, many guessed that the York Diamond Tiara had been sold. But, it turns out, that’s not the case at all! It was lovely to see it shining on Princess Beatrice for the first time, even if it was placed slightly askew in her hair.
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