Truth about the famous ‘Cambridge Lover's knot’ tiara and claims Princess Kate and Princess Diana wore it
Read to understand why many royal observers mistake this famous heirloom for another
When it comes to the royal family’s jewellery collection, few tiaras are as recognisable as the Cambridge Lover’s knot tiara.
…or so we thought.
Cambridge Lover’s knot tiara misconception explained
One huge misconception that is often wrongly reported is that Princess Kate wears the Cambridge Lover’s knot tiara.
In fact, when you google the name of the royal crown, an image of Princess Kate wearing a different piece pops up.
Many mistake the Cambridge Lover’s knot tiara for Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot tiara.
Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot tiara is in fact the diadem previously sported by Princess Diana and Princess Kate.
The piece of jewellery Princess Kate wore at Windsor Castle last month, when the royals welcomed French president Emmanuel Macron, was instead a replica made for Queen Mary in 1914 by the House of Garrard.
The piece was made from pearls and diamonds already owned by her family.
Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth II’s grandmother and a former queen consort of the UK, modelled the tiara after her grandmother Princess Augusta of Hesse’s headpiece, the original Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara.
The story behind Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot tiara
The tiara that was loaned to Princess Diana by Queen Elizabeth following her marriage to Charles and later passed down to Kate, was Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot tiara which, according to the Court Jeweller, Queen Mary “sacrificed a tiara from her own jewellery collection, the Ladies of England Tiara, to make it”.
You might be wondering: “How are the two tiaras mixed up by often? Especially by royal experts?”
Well, simply, they look very, very similar.
Tobias Kormind, Co-founder and MD of 77 Diamonds, Europe’s largest online diamond jeweller, has shared his expert insight on the misconception.
Tobias explains: “The Cambridge Lover’s Knot and Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot are so often confused because one directly inspired the other.
‘The Queen Mary Lover’s Knot is captivating’
“Queen Mary was very fond of her aunt the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz’s tiara. But knowing she would never inherit it, she asked royal jewellers Garrard to create her own version.
“At first, it closely echoed the Cambridge piece. Complete with a row of upright pearls crowning the jewel. However, she later chose to swap those pearls out for brilliant diamonds, which incidentally made the two designs easier to tell apart.
“The Queen Mary Lover’s Knot is captivating not just because of its design, but due to its storied legacy. Worn by four generations of royal women, it was famously favoured by both the late Queen and Princess Diana.
“Today, it is a go-to jewel for the Princess of Wales, who first wore it in 2015 at the Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace.”
He also noted how Kate has “since reached for it for many a state banquet and formal reception”.
So, now you know!
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