Kate Middleton stunned royal fans when she wore a priceless piece of royal history — the Strathmore Rose Tiara — for the first time in nearly a century.
The Princess of Wales, 43, turned heads in November 2023 during a state banquet at Buckingham Palace held in honor of South Korea’s state visit. Her dazzling choice of jewelry, the Strathmore Rose Tiara, hadn’t been seen in public since the 1930s, making the moment a major royal fashion milestone.
The diamond-encrusted tiara, designed with five intricate rose motifs along a floral band, originally belonged to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. It was gifted to her by her father, the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, as a wedding present in 1923 when she married the future King George VI. The Queen Mother famously wore it for portraits taken shortly after her wedding, but the exact date of those photos remains uncertain.
For decades, the tiara remained locked away in the royal vault — even Queen Elizabeth II never wore it during her long reign. Kate’s decision to bring it back to life 100 years after it was first received added emotional and historical weight to the occasion.
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Royal experts say the move was deeply symbolic. The Court Jeweller blogger Lauren Kiehna told PEOPLE that the choice reflected Kate’s admiration for the late Queen Mother’s legacy.
“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 explained. “It’s fitting that she — likely with King Charles’s blessing — wore the tiara exactly a hundred years after the Queen Mother first received it.”
Bethan Holt, fashion director of The Daily Telegraph, described the tiara as a “lost treasure,” adding that its revival carried deep emotional meaning for King Charles.
“I think it’s lovely because the King was so close to the Queen Mother,” Holt said. “Knowing that one of her most precious pieces of jewelry is now being worn by his daughter-in-law creates a touching link between generations.”
The Strathmore Rose Tiara marks the fourth tiara Kate has worn since joining the royal family — and perhaps her most sentimental choice yet. For many royal watchers, it was more than just a fashion statement; it was a graceful nod to tradition and a reminder of the timeless connection between past and present in the British monarchy.
