Princess Brides: the most breathtaking royal wedding tiaras

From fringe to pearls and a never-ending cascades of diamond, royal brides from around the world have glistened and gleamed in a host of tiaras rooted in history and tradition. Click through to see the most breathtaking toppers...

When she married Britain's Prince Harry, the Queen made sure Meghan Markle accessorized her stunning Givenchy wedding gown designed by Clare Waight Keller with the perfect topper - Queen Mary's diamond bandeau. The glittering tiara dates back to 1932 and features interlaced bands of large and small brilliant diamonds with a detachable brooch of ten diamonds at its centre. The latter piece was gifted to Queen Mary by the County of Lincoln to celebrate her marriage to the Duke of York in 1893. Meghan complemented the tiara with a pair of Cartier earrings and bracelet.
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In her native Lima, Alessandra de Osma (a.k.a the "princess of the Andes") wed Prince Christian of Hanover on Mar. 16, and fans lined the streets to get a glimpse of the stunning bride walking towards the Basilica de San Pedro. Clad in a gorgeous lace confection by Spanish designer Jorge Vazquez, the icing on this stunning look was the Hanoverian Floral Tiara - a diamond-encrusted masterpiece that has become a favourite of brides marrying into the House of Hanover.
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More than two-billion people watched Kate Middleton marry Prince William on April 29, 2011 in a custom Alexander McQueen gown and the Queen Mother’s Cartier Halo tiara. It features 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baguette-cut diamonds.
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Like her aunt, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Elisabetta Maria Rosboch von Wolkenstein matched her Valentino creation with the Elisabeth Diamond Bandeau tiara while tying the knot with Prince Amedeo of Belgium in Rome. The Art Deco piece can also be worn as a necklace.
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Prince Félix of Luxembourg’s bride, Claire, wore a chantilly lace Elie Saab gown and the family’s Vine Leaves tiara for the couple's 2013 wedding. Its leafy motif is comprised entirely of diamonds and set in yellow gold and silver.
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Canadian bride Autumn Phillips married the Queen’s eldest grandson, Peter Phillips, on May 17, 2008. Princess Anne loaned her new daughter-in-law her Festoon tiara, which she had received as a gift in 1973 from the World-Wide Shipping firm in Hong Kong.
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Monaco royals have a long tradition of not wearing formal tiaras on their wedding day. Princess Grace and her daughters Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie all opted to forgo the accessory. Charlene Wittstock followed suit, choosing instead to give her simple updo a dose of glamour with two diamond brooches said to be on loan from Albert’s older sister, Caroline.
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Princess Madeleine of Sweden wore the Modern Fringe tiara instead of the family’s traditional wedding topper, the Cameo. Its multiple peaks are dotted with round diamonds and it's said to have been an anniversary present to Queen Silvia from her husband. This wasn’t the first time Madeleine sported this exquisite tiara; she also wore it to Prince Albert and Charlene’s wedding in 2012.
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Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece borrowed her Fringe tiara from Queen Anne-Marie (former Princess of Denmark). Made of pearl and diamonds, the tiara originated as a brooch before being adapted into a headpiece by Queen Ingrid of Denmark, who passed the piece on to daughter Anne-Marie.
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On the occasion of her marriage to Prince Joachim of Denmark in 2008, Marie Cavallier topped her veil with Denmark’s Princess Dagmar Floral tiara. It is part of Queen Margrethe’s collection now, but the monarch has let her daughter-in-law borrow it for many special occasions.
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The Queen Maud’s Pearl and Diamond tiara worn by the daughter of Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Sonja - Princess Martha Louise - on her wedding day originated in the British monarchy. It belonged to Princess Maud, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra’s daughter, who married into Denmark’s royal family. Her husband Carl later became the King of Norway, subsequently passing the tiara down to Martha Louise.
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Made completely of diamonds, Japan’s Crown Princess Scroll tiara was worn by Princess Masako Owada at her wedding to Crown Prince Naruhito in 1993. Naruhito’s mother, Empress Michiko, also became a wife adorned in the glittering gems.
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When the elegant Princess Mary wed into Denmark’s royal family, she did so wearing a tiara gifted to her by her new in-laws: Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik.
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Belgium’s Queen Mathilde, then marrying into a princess title, wore a tiara created by London-based jewelers Hennell & Sons on her wedding day. The Laurel Wreath piece features 631 diamonds and can be adapted into a necklace. Belgium’s nobility gifted Mathilde with the beautiful headpiece in honour of her wedding to Prince Philippe.
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In celebration of the wedding of their son, Prince Haakon of Norway, to Princess Mette-Marit in 2001, King Harald V and Queen Sonja presented their new daughter-in-law with her first tiara – a diamond daisy-motif band that dates back to the early 1900s.
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Venezuelan-born Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark wore the same diamond-and-pearl Fringe tiara that Princess Marie-Chantal wore on her wedding day 15 years prior.
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Before becoming Queen in 2014, Letizia of Spain wed Felipe VI wearing the family’s Prussian Diamond tiara. It is the same headpiece that mother-in-law Queen Sofia wore on her wedding day. The platinum-and-diamond tiara has become a staple accessory for the Spanish aristocrat, who often wears it at weddings and other formal occasions.
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Prince Carl Philip’s older sister, Crown Princess Victoria, followed in her mother’s footsteps by wearing the monarchy’s prized gold-and-pearl Cameo tiara for her wedding to Prince Daniel in 2010. The 18th-century stunner first belonged to Napoleon I’s first wife, Empress Josephine of France. It became part of Sweden’s jewelry collection by way of Josephine’s granddaughter, Josephine of Leuchtenberg, who married Sweden’s King Oscar I in 1823.
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When Britain’s Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, royal enthusiasts were surprised she donned a never-before-seen tiara. It turns out the scrollwork-motif diamond band came from the Queen’s private collection. Its exact origins have never been confirmed by Buckingham Palace.
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The Netherlands’ Queen Maxima loves tiaras, and she wears a bigger variety of the regal sparklers than any other European royal. For her wedding in 2002 she wore a piece created using the base of the Pearl Button tiara and 10 diamond star brooches that belonged to Queen Emma of the Netherlands.
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Princess Anne’s only daughter, Zara Phillips, married rugby-star love Mike Tindall in 2011 in a gown designed by one of the Queen’s couturiers, Stewart Parvin. She accessorized her silk veil with her mother’s Meander tiara. The headpiece originated in Greece’s royal family, with Prince Philip’s mother Alice gifting the tiara to the Queen on her wedding day - and the Queen subsequently passing it on to her daughter, Princess Anne.
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