Kate Middleton’s fans are disappointed by the news that they won’t be able to see the popular royal member in her full splendor this year. It has been revealed that Kate will not have the chance to delight her future subjects by appearing in her signature evening attire and tiara. Tiaras are reserved for the most prestigious official events, and Kate is still recovering from her chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Therefore, she won’t be able to attend any such gala or banquet until the new year.
Traditionally, royal family members reserve their sparkling, gemstone-adorned tiaras for three occasions: the annual Grand Diplomatic Reception, State Banquets (typically held for visiting heads of foreign states), and royal weddings. As it happens, there won’t be a wedding of such high rank in the UK this year. Kate, unfortunately, missed last week’s Grand Diplomatic Reception, and now it’s been announced that she will also not attend the State Banquet in honor of the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is due to visit the UK next week. Kate will be present at the morning horse parade for the distinguished guest, but William will attend the evening banquet at Buckingham Palace without her.
In the past, Kate never missed the tradition of wearing a tiara when the occasion called for it. The royal vault holds nearly twenty different tiaras, yet Kate has been seen wearing just four of them in the twelve and a half years of her marriage to William. The first time she wore a tiara was at her wedding to Prince William in 2011, when she dazzled in the Cartier Halo tiara, a creation from the famous jewelry house. In 2018, at the State Banquet, Kate wore the Cambridge Lovers’ Knot tiara, which has since become her favorite. This particular piece was also a favorite of Princess Diana. Another tiara Kate has worn several times is the Lotus Flower tiara. Interestingly, it was originally a necklace, but at the request of the Queen Mother, it was transformed into a headpiece. Lastly, Kate has worn the exquisite Strathmore Rose tiara on a couple of occasions, which, oddly enough, had been kept in the royal vault unused for over 40 years before Kate wore it.
As British jeweler Leroy Dawkins explained, although Kate is allowed to choose from almost any of the royal collection’s jewels, none of them actually belong to her. They were all once owned by Queen Elizabeth as the ruler of Britain and have now been passed down to King Charles by inheritance.
