Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World
During last week’s French state visit to Morocco, we were treated to a rare public appearance by King Mohammed VI’s only daughter, Princess Lalla Khadija, in elegant diamonds and pearls.
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To celebrate my wedding weekend, I’ve got a bit of a tiara bonanza for you: a two-part flashback to some of the many royal wedding tiaras and jewels worn over the past two decades. Today’s post covers the first half, and the second will be up tomorrow morning. Enjoy!
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For her wedding to the Earl of Wessex on June 19, 1999, Sophie wore a diamond tiara given to her by the Queen and a set of pearls designed for her by the groom. (The wedding tiara was recently revamped.) Edward and Sophie recently celebrated their twentieth wedding anniversary. They have two children, Louise and James.
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| ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images |
Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark wore the family’s traditional bridal diadem, the Khedive of Egypt Tiara, with diamond earrings for her wedding to Carlos Morales Quintana in London on July 9, 1999. The couple welcomed four children (Arrietta, Ana Maria, Carlos, and Amelia) in the twenty years that followed.
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| PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images |
Belgian aristocrat Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz borrowed Queen Elisabeth’s Art Deco Bandeau from her new mother-in-law, Queen Paola, for her wedding to the Duke of Brabant in Brussels on December 4, 1999. She paired the tiara with diamond and pearl drop earrings. The couple now reign as King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, and they have four children, Princess Elisabeth, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel, and Princess Eleonore.
On January 29, 2000, fashion designer Angela Brown wore the Kinsky Honeysuckle Tiara for her wedding to Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein in New York. The sparkler was a loan from her new mother-in-law, Princess Marie Aglae. The couple have one son, Prince Alfons.
On May 19, 2001, Laurentien Brinkhorst married Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands in The Hague. For the ceremony, she wore the Dutch Laurel Wreath Tiara, part of the royal family’s jewelry foundation. The couple now have three children, Eloise, Claus-Casimir, and Leonore.
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| Anthony Harvey/Getty Images |
Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby was the epitome of Nordic chic when she married Crown Prince Haakon of Norway in Oslo on August 25, 2001. She wore the Diamond Daisy Bandeau, an Edwardian-era tiara given to her by her new parents-in-law, King Harald V and Queen Sonja. The couple have three children, Marius Borg Hoiby, Princess Ingrid Alexandra, and Prince Sverre Magnus.
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| Anthony Harvey/Getty Images |
Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti wore diamonds, including the Dutch Star Tiara, for her wedding to the Prince of Orange in Amsterdam on February 2, 2002. The tiara is part of the Dutch royal family’s extensive jewelry foundation. The couple now reign as King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, and they have three daughters, Princess Catharina-Amalia, Princess Alexia, and Princess Ariane.
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| Michel Porro/Getty Images |
Princess Martha Louise of Norway wore the small setting of (the replica of) Queen Maud’s Pearl Tiara for her wedding to Ari Behn in Trondheim on May 24, 2002. She paired it with additional diamond and pearl jewels. The couple had three daughters, Maud, Leah, and Emma, before divorcing in 2017.
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| Moroccan Government/Getty Images |
This royal wedding was something of a first — a royal consort had never received public recognition in Morocco until King Mohammed VI married Salma Bennani in 2001. For their marriage celebrations in Rabat on July 13, 2002, she wore diamonds, including a meander tiara. The couple had two children, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan and Princess Lalla Khadija, but in recent years, there have been unconfirmed reports that the couple have divorced, and Salma is now rarely seen in public.
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| Scott Barbour/Getty Images |
In Brussels on April 12, 2003, Claire Coombs wore diamonds and pearls as she married Prince Laurent of Belgium. Her diamond wedding tiara was a gift from her new parents-in-law, King Albert II and Queen Paola. The couple have three children together, Princess Louise, Prince Nicolas, and Prince Aymeric.
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| Michel Porro/Getty Images |
Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau married Mabel Wisse Smit in Delft on April 24, 2004. For the wedding, Mabel borrowed a diamond tiara from the Dutch royal vaults. The couple had two daughters, Luana and Zaria, but Friso sadly died in 2013, a year after his tragic skiing accident.
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| Ian Waldie/Getty Images |
On May 14, 2004, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark married Mary Donaldson in Copenhagen. For her wedding, Mary wore a diamond tiara that had been given to her by her new parents-in-law, Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik, as well as diamond and pearl earrings. The couple have since welcomed four children, Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent, and Princess Josephine.
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Journalist Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano wore diamonds for her wedding to the Prince of Asturias in Madrid on May 22, 2004. She borrowed the Prussian Tiara from her mother-in-law, Queen Sofia, pairing it with classic diamond earrings. The couple now reign as King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, and they have two daughters, Infanta Leonor and Infanta Sofia.
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Two lines of the Jordanian royal family came together when Prince Hamzah bin Hussein married Princess Noor bint Asem in 2003. For their marriage celebrations in Amman on May 27, 2004, Noor wore minimal jewelry but lots of lace. The couple had one daughter, Princess Haya, before divorcing in 2009.
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The Prince of Wales married his companion, Camilla Parker Bowles, in a pair of ceremonies in Windsor on April 9, 2005. The new Duchess of Cornwall wore a Prince of Wales Feather Brooch for the civil ceremony, but for the religious blessing, she donned a pair of diamond floral earrings inherited from her family. The couple will soon celebrate their fifteenth wedding anniversary.
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Because she’d already given birth to their first child, Prince Gabriel, Tessy Antony’s wedding to Prince Louis of Luxembourg was a subdued royal affair. The ceremony took place on September 29, 2006, in Gilsdorf, and Tessy wore diamonds and pearls for the occasion. The couple welcomed another son, Prince Noah, before divorcing in 2019.
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Peter Phillips became the first of Queen Elizabeth II’s grandchildren to marry when he wed Autumn Kelly in Windsor on May 17, 2008. She borrowed his mother’s diamond festoon tiara for the ceremony, pairing it with diamond and pearl jewels that she received from the groom. The couple now have two daughters, Savannah and Isla Elizabeth.
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| SOEREN BIDSTRUP/AFP/Getty Images |
Marie Cavallier became the second wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark when they married in Mogeltonder on May 24, 2008. She wore Princess Dagmar’s Floral Tiara for the ceremony; the tiara is on long-term loan to her from her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe II. She paired it with long diamond earrings from Genève. The couple has two children, Prince Henrik and Princess Athena, who joined Joachim’s elder sons, Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix.
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Lord Frederick Windsor, son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, married actress Sophie Winkleman at Hampton Court Palace on September 12, 2009. For the ceremony, she wore pearl drop earrings and a sparkling hair ornament with a matching comb to secure her veil. The couple now have two daughters, Maud and Isabella.
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| Yui Mok – Pool/Getty Images |
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex wrapped up their official visit to Morocco on Monday, and we’ve got a roundup today of all the jewels she wore during the trip!
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| Hannah McKay – WPA Pool/Getty Images |
Harry and Meghan arrived on Saturday evening at the airport in Casablanca, where they were greeted by the British ambassador.
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| Hannah McKay – WPA Pool/Getty Images |
Meghan chose a red ensemble by Valentino for her arrival, accessorizing with petite diamond and yellow gold earrings from Natalie Marie. She previously wore the pair during the tour of Australia.
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| Hannah McKay – WPA Pool/Getty Images |
We also caught a glimpse of her wedding and engagement rings on her arrival, which she wore along with a slim golden ring on her left thumb.
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| Tim P. Whitby – Pool/Getty Images |
On Sunday morning, the couple visited the ‘Education For All’ boarding house for girls in Asni, which ensures that girls from rural communities in the High Atlas Mountain regions have access to secondary education.
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| Tim P. Whitby – Pool/Getty Images |
During the visit, Meghan participated in a traditional henna ceremony to mark the seventh month of her pregnancy.
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| Kirsty Wigglesworth – Pool/Getty Images |
With her more casual ensemble for Monday’s daytime engagements, Meghan wore a pair of gold stud earrings that were given to her in New Zealand by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
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| Tim P. Whitby – Pool/Getty Images |
Close-ups following the henna ceremony also gave us some great views of Meghan’s rings.
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| Yui Mok – Pool/Getty Images |
Harry and Meghan attended a reception at the residence of the British ambassador in Rabat on Sunday evening.
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| Arthur Edwards – Pool/Getty Images |
She reached for a familiar pair of earrings from her jewelry box for the reception: the Snowflake Snowstorm diamond earrings from Birks.
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| Arthur Edwards – Pool/Getty Images |
The embellished sleeves of her Dior gown also provided a bit more subtle sparkle, as did the crystal-studded bee on her Dior clutch.
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| FADEL SENNA/AFP/Getty Images |
On Monday morning, the Sussexes made a stop at the Moroccan Royal Federation of Equestrian Sports in Rabat.
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| Tim P. Whitby – Pool/Getty Images |
They also visited the Villa des Ambassadors in Rabat, where they greeted local children and viewed a cooking demonstration.
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| Tim P. Whitby – Pool/Getty Images |
At the site, Meghan, Harry, and a group of children from under-privileged backgrounds learned traditional Moroccan recipes from one of Morocco’s foremost chefs, Chef Moha Fedal. He and Meghan also swapped cookbooks; he gave her one of his own books, and she presented him with a copy of Together: Our Community Cookbook.
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| Hannah McKay – WPA Pool/Getty Images |
The day’s engagements gave us another look at a recently-worn pair of earrings: the golden bar earrings from Ecksand, which feature a twisted, rope-like design. We previously saw her wear the earrings for a visit to the National Theatre in January.
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| Hannah McKay – WPA Pool/Getty Images |
On this occasion, Meghan wore the earrings vertically, a change from their last outing.
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| Tim P. Whitby – Pool/Getty Images |
On her right hand, Meghan also sported another gold ring. It’s reportedly the Karen Walker Runway Ring, previously worn during the tour of Australia.
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| Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images |
Monday’s afternoon schedule included visits to other sites in Rabat, including the Kasbah of the Udayas and the Andalusian Gardens. Meghan changed outfits and jewelry for these outings.
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| Facundo Arrizabalaga – Pool/Getty Images |
Her show-stopping statement earrings are the Onde Gourmette gold-plated brass earrings from Bijoux.
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| Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images |
Here’s another view of the earrings, which are fairly affordable, retailing for around $200.
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| FADEL SENNA/AFP/Getty Images |
Meghan also added another accessory during her tour of the market, when a vendor offered her a necklace.
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| FADEL SENNA/AFP/Getty Images |
The long necklace features a carved cedar wood pendant.
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| Yui Mok – Pool/Getty Images |
The visit wrapped up on Monday evening with a trip to the residence of King Mohammed VI of Morocco in Rabat.
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| Yui Mok – Pool/Getty Images |
Meghan wore a very familiar pair of earrings for the couple’s audience with the monarch: her diamond stud earrings from Cartier, which she wore on her wedding day. She paired the earrings with a gown from Carolina Herrera.
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| Yui Mok – Pool/Getty Images |
Several other members of the Moroccan royal family were present for the audience, including two of the king’s sisters, Princess Lalla Meryem and Princess Lalla Hasna; his brother, Prince Moulay Rachid. His fifteen-year-old son and heir, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, was also in attendance.
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| Yui Mok – Pool/Getty Images |
As was the case during the recent Spanish visit, one member of the Moroccan royal family continued to be noticeably absent: Princess Lalla Salma, wife of the king and mother of the crown prince. There have been rumors for more than a year that Mohammed and Salma have divorced, but the court has refused to confirm or deny them. British royal reporters inquired after Salma during this official visit, and Emily Andrews reported that they were told that “it is understood” that Salma is currently at her home on the Greek island of Kea with the couple’s eleven-year-old daughter, Princess Lalla Khadija.
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| Facundo Arrizabalaga – Pool/Getty Images |
And that’s a wrap for our coverage of the jewels worn on this particular royal visit. Which pieces were your favorites?