The significant meaning behind Princess Diana’s wedding day tiara

It was rather special to her family

Prince Charles and Princess Diana wedding mistake

It was rather special to her family

Jewellery has always taken centre stage in Royal women’s attire. There’s Kate Middleton’s sapphire engagement ring, which once belonged to Princess Diana, and the Queen’s favourite diamond necklace, which the Duchess wore to meet Queen Letizia.

And of course, there’s no better day to have family heirlooms on show than a Royal wedding day. Princess Diana wed Prince Charles on 29th July 1981, and her massive David Emmanuel wedding dress is probably one of the most famous in history.

But does anyone remember the jewellery she wore? Diana kept her cathedral-length veil in place on the big day with a beautiful diamond tiara.

You might think it was on loan from Queen Elizabeth, but it actually belonged to the Spencer family, and was very special to Diana.

princess diana tiara

The Spencer Tiara features an ornate floral pattern, made of diamonds and silver, and has been in the family for over 60 years. It went perfectly with Princess Diana's wedding dress.

It was originally a wedding present to Diana’s grandmother, the Viscountess Althorp, given to her in 1919 by Lady Sarah Spencer, according to the Mail Online.

The tiara was modified in the Thirties, with sections added to it, and the oldest pieces said to be at either end.

It was reportedly Diana’s favourite, and was worn by both her older sisters on their wedding days, so it was quite sentimental that Diana wore it for hers, and it was the perfect ‘something borrowed’ and ‘something old’.

Plus, the tiara featured a heart at its centre, no doubt to symbolise love.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.