The Cartier Halo Tiara: A Royal Legacy

When she emerged from that Rolls-Royce Phantom VI at the Abbey’s West Door on 29th April 2011, Kate Middleton wasn’t just wearing a beautiful custom Alexander McQueen dress — she was also showcasing a stunning tiara that hadn’t been seen in public for almost 40 years.

The Cartier Halo Tiara has an elegant history of its own. It dates back to 1936, when Prince Albert, Duke of York, purchased it as a gift for his wife, Elizabeth — just three weeks before he unexpectedly became King George VI following the abdication of his brother, Edward VIII.

The tiara features a band of 16 graduated scrolls, set with 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baton diamonds. Each scroll is divided by a graduated brilliant, with a larger brilliant crowning each centre.

Elizabeth debuted the tiara on 4th November 1936, attending a charity ball at Claridge’s in aid of the South London Hospital for Women and Children. It was the Royal Family’s first major outing following the end of official mourning for King George V, and, according to the Daily News, it signalled their return to ‘London life.’

Although she wore it a few more times, once she became Queen, Elizabeth naturally favoured larger, grander pieces from the royal vault. In fact, portraits taken just two months after the abdication already show her wearing the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara — a far more commanding piece.

In 1944, she gifted the Halo Tiara to her daughter, Princess Elizabeth, for her 18th birthday — it is believed to be the first tiara the future queen owned. However, the young princess never wore it publicly, likely because the country was still deep in wartime. The first time she appeared in a tiara was at her 1947 wedding, wearing Queen Mary’s Fringe.

After her marriage, Princess Elizabeth’s personal collection expanded significantly. She received stunning pieces such as the Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara, and the iconic Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara from her grandmother, Queen Mary — the latter destined to become a lifelong favourite.

Rather than wearing the Halo herself, the Queen loaned it to her younger sister, Princess Margaret. In May 1953, Margaret wore it to the wedding of Princess Ragnhild of Norway, where she represented her sister, the Queen.

A month later, Margaret was seen wearing the Halo Tiara again during the coronation celebrations, riding in a carriage to Westminster Abbey alongside their mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

Throughout the early years of the Queen’s reign, Princess Margaret wore the tiara regularly. In October 1954, she chose it for a state banquet held in honour of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.

A year later, she wore it again during a garden party at Government House in St. Kitts while on royal tour in the Caribbean.

After her wedding to Anthony Armstrong-Jones in May, 1960, Margaret tended to wear her bridal tiara, the Poltimore, for royal events, and so the Halo Tiara went back into the vault to await its next Princess.

The tiara didn’t have long to wait before being passed on again. In 1967, Princess Anne wore the Halo Tiara for her very first tiara appearance at the State Opening of Parliament — an important milestone for any young royal.

Anne continued to wear the tiara on several notable occasions, including a banquet at Claridge’s during a state visit from Luxembourg in 1972:

And during a formal event on her visit to New Zealand in 1970:

By the late 1960s, however, Anne had received the Meander Tiara from her mother, and by her 1973 wedding, she had added the Festoon Tiara and the Cartier Aquamarine Pineflower Tiara to her growing collection. As a result, the Halo Tiara was once again retired to the vault.

So when it was revealed that Kate Middleton had chosen the Cartier Halo Tiara as her ‘something borrowed’ for her 2011 wedding, royal jewel watchers were thrilled. It was a romantic and meaningful choice — a tiara with a history of marking young beginnings.

Sadly, we haven’t seen Kate wear her wedding tiara again since. It feels a shame to keep one of the prettiest royal tiaras hidden away.

Based on its history, the Halo Tiara seems to serve as a kind of ‘beginner’s tiara’ for young royals — so perhaps we’ll next see it when Princess Charlotte makes her tiara debut… in about eight years’ time!