camilla charles wedding

Why Duchess Camilla didn't wear a wedding tiara for Prince Charles nuptials

The royals tied the knot in 2005

Senior Health & Fitness Writer
January 25, 2022

One of the key parts of a royal bride's outfit is her tiara, which tends to secure her veil in place, but you may have spotted that the Duchess of Cornwall decided to ditch the sparkling accessory on her wedding day to Prince Charles.

MORE: Royal wedding colour schemes you'll want to emulate: Meghan Markle, Princess Eugenie and more

When Camilla and Charles got married on 9 April 2005, the bride wore two unconventional outfits which were both designed by Anna Valentine and Antonia Robinson – a cream silk chiffon dress with a matching coat, followed by a pale blue chiffon gown with a long-sleeved, gold-embroidered coat over the top.

WATCH: Look back at the most stunning royal wedding tiaras of all time

For both outfits, the Duchess finished her look with hats by Philip Treacy, and we believe there could be two reasons why. Firstly, this was not her first marriage. Camilla had previously tied the knot with Major Andrew Parker-Bowles in July 1973, where she did wear a tiara. Likewise, Princess Anne chose not to wear a tiara for her second wedding with Sir Timothy Laurence in 1992.

Camilla only wore a tiara when she married Andrew Parker-Bowles in 1973

Camilla's diamond-encrusted style is believed to be a family heirloom from the Duchess' maternal grandmother Sonia Rosemary Cubitt, Baroness Ashcombe, and her daughter Laura Lopes has since worn the tiara for her own wedding with Harry Lopes in 2006.

MORE: The Queen's wedding ring features top-secret message from Prince Philip

READ: Why Kate Middleton and Prince William aren't a tactile couple - expert discusses relationship

Camilla's daughter Laura wore her mother's tiara when she married

The second reason for Camilla not wearing a tiara for her big day with Prince Charles is that the couple didn't hold their ceremony in a church. While Camilla and Andrew chose a Catholic service at the Guards Chapel in London, Camilla and Charles had a civil ceremony at the Windsor Guildhall, followed by a marriage blessing at St George's Chapel.

Nonetheless, while Camilla's tiara didn't make an appearance on her wedding day with the Duke of Cornwall, she did rewear it for a visit to Buckingham Palace in 2015. She teamed the statement piece with dangling diamond earrings and a four-string pearl necklace.

Camilla wore her tiara again for a visit to Buckingham Palace in 2015

As for the rest of the royal family, their jewel-encrusted tiaras have made for some magical finishing touches. When Princess Beatrice tied the knot with property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in secret on 17 July 2020, she wore the Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara, consisting of 47 diamond bars.

The Duchess of Cambridge, meanwhile, completed her look with the Queen Mother's Cartier Halo Tiara with 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baguette diamonds, and Meghan Markle loaned the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau Tiara from the Queen when she said 'I do' to Prince Harry on 19 May 2018.  

RELATED: 9 of the Queen's strictest royal wedding rules revealed

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