Kate Middleton is garnering praise for wearing a royal heirloom — the Strathmore Rose Tiara — for the first time in a century.
“I think it’s lovely as the King was so close to the Queen Mother and knowing that one of her most precious pieces of jewelry is being worn by his daughter-in-law gives a really emotional tie between the generations,” Bethan Holt, fashion director of The Daily Telegraph, told People on Monday, October 27, raving over her ability to incorporate style with something of sentimental value.
The Princess of Wales, 43, exuded elegance when she wore the iconic piece with a floral design to the banquet celebrating the state visit from South Korea at Buckingham Palace in November 2023, adding a bit of history into her outfit at the event.
Queen Elizabeth, a.k.a. the Queen Mother, received the tiara as a lavish wedding gift from her father, the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, when she married the future King George VI, as seen in vintage black-and-white photos from the couple’s April 26, 1923, nuptials. She was last photographed wearing the sparkling headpiece in the 1930s, per The Court Jeweller.
Every Time Princess Kate Paid Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II With Her Jewelry
Her daughter Queen Elizabeth II was never spotted in the royal heirloom during her 70 years on the throne, which made her the longest-reigning British monarch, giving Kate that moment in the spotlight when she did wear the piece.
Holt described the tiara as a “lost treasure,” noting that Kate not only paid a sartorial tribute to the late royal, but is also following in her footsteps.
“It has been said that Kate has looked for inspiration to the Queen Mother in terms of how she conducted herself and so to have that tiara symbolizing that, in such a public moment, I think it is really significant,” he told the outlet. “I think if there was anyone to wear that tiara, it was Kate; she was the woman to wear it and carry it forward.”
Court Jeweller blogger Lauren Kiehna previously told People in 2023 that “Kate has always signaled that she’d like to emulate the Queen Mother’s royal role and wearing her jewels is an important symbol of that continuity.”
Kiehna said that it was “fitting” that Kate “would choose to wear the tiara exactly a hundred years after the Queen Mother originally received it.” The blogger continued, “The piece is an antique that wasn’t fashionable for many decades, but many jewels once considered fussy or unstylish have now been embraced again.”
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Kate has continued to carve out her own path and honor those before her as she prepares for her future role as queen alongside husband Prince William. (The couple shares three children together: Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.)
Motherhood has long been at the forefront of Kate’s identity, and she’s also prioritized her health after going through a public cancer battle, which she revealed in March 2024, and announcing that she was in remission in January.
“Kate’s return to royal duties has been careful and considered, reflecting her need to protect her well-being,” royal commentator Afua Acheampong-Hagan exclusively told Us Weekly in April. “Her ability to manage this transition will set a precedent for how the royal family balances duty with personal well-being in the future.”
