Is Princess Margaret’s Wedding Tiara Worth More Than Kate Middleton’s, Meghan Markle’s?

Princess Margaret’s wedding tiara could be worth more than Kate Middleton’s and Meghan Markle’s.

It’s a tradition of the royal family for royal brides to wear a tiara on their big day. Queen Elizabeth II’s sister wore one when she walked down the aisle. The Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Sussex did the same thing on their wedding day.

The royal brides either borrow the sparkling headpieces from the royal vault or they are given one as a gift. Princess Margaret brought her large headpiece for $6,697 at an auction in 1959. It originally belonged to the wife of the third Baron Poltimore, Express reported.

Princess Margaret’s tiara could be worth $47,856 today due to inflation. However, the royal connections have boosted its price because just months after Princess Margaret’s death, the item was sold at Christie’s for $1.7 million.

Middleton wore the Cartier Halo tiara when she exchanged wedding vows with Prince William in 2011. According to jewelry expert Deborah Papas, the tiara came with a hefty price tag.

“It is very hard to estimate the value but as a Cartier piece, I would estimate it to be worth approximately £750,000 ($936,000) to £1,250,000 ($1,560, 276),” Papas said.

However, Markle’s headpiece was more expensive. The Duchess of Sussex wore the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau tiara when she tied the knot with Prince Harry. According to Papas, “It is hard to put a value on this little seen piece but could be worth up to £2 million ($2.5 million).”

Among the three tiaras, Markle’s headpiece costs more. However, since Princess Margaret’s tiara was already worth $1.7 million following her death, it’s also possible that it would cost more than Markle’s tiara at present.

In related news, many wondered why Markle doesn’t borrow the Queen’s tiara. Prince Harry’s wife was only seen wearing a tiara once, and it was on her wedding day.

According to monarchy expert Emma Forbes, one of the possible reasons is that Markle is not a “tiara kind of girl.” Meanwhile, Middleton is more traditional, so she enjoys the jewels including the tiaras from Queen Elizabeth II’s collection.