So, This Is How the Royal Family Defines a "Floral Headpiece"
After much speculation about what would top the Princess of Wales's head during King Charles III's coronation, Princess Kate showed up at Westminster Abbey this morning wearing a glittering silver laurel headpiece that looks a lot like a tiara—but isn't.
Kensington Palace confirmed that Kate did not wear a tiara to the historic event. Her head topper instead consisted of a regal arrangement of shimmering petal-like shapes that formed a point above her head.
The Times previously reported that Kate would likely wear a "floral headpiece" for Charles's big day.
In addition to this headpiece, Kate wore a formal robe and mantel, at the request of King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as an Alexander McQueen dress in ivory silk crepe with silver bullion and thread work embroidery featuring rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock motifs.
Since marrying Prince William in 2011, Kate has only been seen wearing three different tiaras on a handful of occasions.
On her wedding day, she opted for Queen Elizabeth's Cartier Halo Tiara, a delicate band set with hundreds of diamonds that originally belonged to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and was later gifted to Elizabeth II on her 18th birthday.
Her most-worn sparkler is the Lover's Knot Tiara (also known as the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara). This piece, which was also favored by Princess Diana, was originally made for Queen Mary in the early 20th century, and prominently features features dozens of hanging pear-shaped pearls and diamonds. Kate last wore the piece at a November 2022 state banquet in South Africa.
The third and final tiara frequented by the Princess of Wales is the Lotus Flower Tiara, which formerly belonged to Princess Margaret. The headpiece reportedly dates back to the 1920s, having originally been part of the Queen Mother's collection. Kate last wore this tiara in December 2022 during a reception at Buckingham Palace.
Today's historic occasion—which marks the first British coronation in 70 years, with the last occurring for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953—will be extended with other related events throughout the weekend, including a Coronation Concert, a community event called the Big Lunch, and a volunteering event dubbed the Big Help Out.
The palace notes, "The Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort will be marked with events across the country and a concert at Windsor Castle. Their Majesties want to encourage people to spend the Coronation Weekend celebrating with friends, families and their communities."
The ceremony was intentionally designed to weave in the king's lifelong passion for the environment, with several decisions being made in the interest of sustainability. This includes the king and queen consort's reuse of their throne chairs and crowns, the invitations being printed on recycled paper, and thoughtfully crafted floral arrangements.
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