A Stunning Diamond Tiara Debut from Queen Camilla for the Qatari State Banquet

There was major sparkle for the Qatari state banquet at Buckingham Palace tonight, thanks to four spectacular royal tiaras—including a debut for Queen Camilla!—and even more heirloom royal jewels.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla hosted an elaborate state banquet at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening for the Emir of Qatar and his royal consort, Sheikha Jawaher. The banquet is the traditional final event on the first day of the state visit program. The banquet marked the first for a Qatari leader since the dinner given by Queen Elizabeth II for the present Emir’s parents, Sheikh Hamad and Sheikha Moza, at Windsor Castle in 2010.

For the banquet, gala attire, decorations, and jewels were worn. The Emir wore the insignia of Qatar’s Order of Independence and Britain’s Order of the Bath, which he received from King Charles III earlier in the day. Beside him, Queen Camilla wore a favorite red Fiona Clare evening gown (previously worn last year for the South Korean state banquet) with the Order of the Garter and the Royal Family Orders of King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II.

Queen Camilla also made her debut in a special royal tiara most recently seen on her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II: the diamond kokoshnik tiara that originally belonged to Queen Alexandra.

Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara was given to her as a present to mark her silver wedding anniversary in 1888. The jewel was presented to her by a committee of aristocratic women calling themselves the “Ladies of Society.” The committee, which did not always get along well during the process, was led by the Marchioness of Salisbury (who was the wife of the Prime Minister); Maria, Marchioness of Ailesbury (who was a supporter of the opposition Liberal Party); the Countess Spencer; and the Countess of Cork. They specifically asked Alexandra about the kind of jewel that she would like to receive, and she told them that she wanted a Russian kokoshnik-style tiara like the ones worn by her sister, Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia.

The tiara was made by Garrard and presented to Alexandra, who was then Princess of Wales, at Marlborough House on March 10, 1888. She would keep the tiara in her collection for the rest of her life, wearing it for important family occasions like the wedding of her son, the Duke of York (later King George V) to Princess Mary of Teck in 1893.

When Alexandra passed away in 1925, it was Queen Mary who inherited the kokoshnik from her mother-in-law. She was known to be particularly fond of the tiara and wore it often. She notably posed for several gala portraits in the piece, including one to mark her 80th birthday in 1947.

On Queen Mary’s death in 1953, the tiara was inherited by Queen Elizabeth II. She wore the jewel for the first time in public during her coronation tour of the Commonwealth, wearing it with her coronation gown for the state opening of parliament in New Zealand in January 1954. Elizabeth was the exclusive wearer of the spectacular tiara, often called the “Wall of Diamonds,” for the next seventy years.

Now, the tiara has been passed along to the next generation of the royal family. Queen Camilla wore the tiara on Tuesday with more diamond pieces, including the earrings from her pear-shaped diamond demi-parure and the City of London Fringe Necklace, another jewel from Elizabeth II’s personal collection. You’ll also spot a ruby and diamond bracelet on Camilla’s left wrist. It’s one of the Cartier Art Deco Bracelets that belonged to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

King Charles III wore decorations and medals for the banquet as well, including the insignia of the Order of the Garter and the collar of Qatar’s Order of Merit. The enormous sword that he’s carrying was a gift today from the Emir: the Sword of the Founder, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani. Beside him, Sheikha Jawaher was elegant as usual for the banquet, wearing a dark red velvet evening coat over a lovely gown with sparkling accents.

She added some sparkle with bejeweled accessories as well, wearing a coordinating pair of earrings and diamond rings on both hands.

There was more glittering jewelry present on the extended members of the British royal family, too. The Princess Royal wore a vintage evening jacket and skirt from her wardrobe with the Garter sash, the Garter, Thistle, and Royal Victorian Order stars, and the Royal Family Orders of King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II. Anne also wore diamond and aquamarine jewelry, including a tiara that she received as a gift from her grandmother.

The Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara, made by Cartier, originally belonged to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. It was reportedly an anniversary gift from her husband, King George VI, in the late 1930s. Above, she wears the tiara at the ballet in 1951.

Anne received the tiara from her grandmother as a wedding present in November 1973. Since then, she’s had the piece remodeled slightly. For Tuesday’s banquet, she wore it with aquamarine and diamond earrings and a diamond and aquamarine pendant, suspended from a single strand of pearls.

Also in diamonds and aquamarines was the Duchess of Edinburgh, who wore a striking black evening gown with her jewels and decorations. She added the sash and star of the Royal Victorian Order and the Royal Family Orders of King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II to her ensemble as well.

Sophie wore her own convertible diamond and aquamarine tiara for the banquet. The modern jewel can also be removed from its frame and worn as a necklace. With the tiara, she wore her interesting floral demi-parure—necklace, earrings, and bracelet—set with diamonds and sapphires from Graff.

And last but absolutely never least, the Duchess of Gloucester arrived for the banquet in a chic white evening gown, adorned with the insignia of the Order of the Garter and the Royal Family Orders of King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II.

Birgitte has one of the best personal jewelry collections of any European royal lady, and for tonight’s banquet, she chose from her selection of emerald jewels. She wore Queen Mary’s Honeysuckle Tiara with its emerald and diamond centerpiece, paired with diamond and emerald drop earrings. More cabochon emerald drops were suspended from her pearl necklace, and she finished off the look with an emerald and diamond bracelet, a large emerald and diamond brooch, and a diamond buckle brooch. All of the jewels were inherited from her late mother-in-law, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.