princess diana and charlotte tiara© Photo: Getty Images

Is Princess Charlotte set to inherit one of Princess Diana's most precious tiaras?

Diana wore the exquisite Spencer Tiara on her wedding day

Content Managing Editor
May 26, 2022

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's daughter Princess Charlotte will most likely inherit a treasure trove of jewels and accessories when she's older, but one special family heirloom that she could become the owner of is the exquisite Spencer Tiara.

Her maternal grandmother Diana, Princess of Wales famously wore the tiara on her wedding day in 1981, after it was also worn by her older sisters Baroness Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale at their nuptials in 1978 and in 1980 respectively.

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The tiara was inherited by their father John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer in the mid seventies and according to Sotheby's auction house, who are displaying the tiara in their Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras exhibition in London this week, the tiara is now set to be inherited by Princess Charlotte.

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The catalogue note reads: "Having been worn by Princess Diana at her wedding, the Spencer Tiara is one of the most famous diadems in modern history. The tiara is reported to have been created originally in 1767 for Viscountess Montagu and remodelled by Garrard in the 1930s: the central motif was purportedly gifted by Lady Sarah Spencer to Viscountess Althorp, the grandmother of Princess Diana, in 1919, after which further motifs were added, resulting in the design we see today.

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"In the mid-1970s, John Spencer, the 8th Earl Spencer, inherited the tiara. It was subsequently worn by all three of his daughters at their wedding: Lady Jane in 1978; Lady Sarah in 1980; and finally Lady Diana the following year, in 1981. The tiara was most recently worn by Celia McCorquodale - niece of the 10th Earl Spencer Charles - at her wedding in the Spring of 2018. The Spencer Tiara is now set to be inherited by Princess Charlotte."

© Photo: Getty Images

Princess Diana wore the Spencer tiara on her wedding day

Diana looked stunning when she wore the tiara on her wedding day to Prince Charles in July 1981. The headpiece is designed in a garland style and features a central heart flanked by continuous running scrolls, interspersed with star and trumpet-shaped flowers. It is set throughout with circular and rose-cut, cushion, and pear-shaped diamonds, mounted in gold.

Sotheby's exhibition will feature over 40 British and European tiaras which have mainly been handed down through families for generations and are seldom loaned for public display. The exhibition will run from 28 May to 15 June (closed 5 June) at the auction house's London base on New Bond Street.

© Photo: Getty Images

Sotheby's catalogue states Princess Charlotte will inherit the tiara

While the catalogue states Charlotte will inherit the tiara, it is still in the possession of Diana's brother Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer. Charles lives at the Spencer family home Althorp House in Northamptonshire after inheriting the estate aged 27 as the eldest male.

The Earl also has five daughters of his own from his three marriages, and they could also inherit the beloved headpiece.

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