Meghan Markle's wedding tiara: Queen Mary's Bandeau

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Meghan Markle wore her first royal tiara on her wedding day in 2018, and royal fans certainly were not disappointed by her choice. The Queen loaned Meghan an iconic diadem from her collection, Queen Mary’s Bandeau Tiara. Express.co.uk has all you need to know about the design, history and staggering value of this poignant piece.

Queen Mary’s Bandeau Tiara was designed to accommodate another piece of jewellery, a stunning diamond brooch.

Alexandra Michell, Gemologist at Prestige Pawnbrokers of Channel 4’s Posh Pawn, said: “This stunning lozenge bandeau is peppered with diamonds and set in platinum, a section was originally a wedding gift from the County of Lincoln to Queen Mary in 1893 and is a pendant/brooch which I believe can be cleverly detached and worn as such.

“It is set with a large brilliant-cut (possibly old-cut) diamond estimated to be approximately 10 carats or more and surrounded by nine smaller cut diamonds (but not so small at an estimated two to three carats each).

“There is a cluster on either side also of seven round diamonds and an array of additional round brilliant-cut diamonds all over this 11 jointed Art Deco piece.”

The tiara has strong royal provenance, and Meghan’s decision to wear it can be seen as a tribute to a famous royal figure who was beloved by the Queen.

Ms Michell added: “It was originally made for Queen Mary, the Queen’s grandmother, in 1932, and bequeathed to her granddaughter the Queen on her death in 1953.

“Meghan was delighted to choose this piece from others to wear on her very special day when she married Prince Harry and became the Duchess of Sussex.”

Like all of the tiaras in the royal collection, Queen Mary’s Bandeau Tiara is worth a staggering sum.

The jewellery expert added: “It is hard to put a value on this little-seen piece but it could be worth up to £2million.”

Meghan’s tiara was interpreted by fashion fans as a classic choice, the perfect addition to the bride’s timeless dress designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy.

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Joanna Wyganowska, Design Expert & Gemmologist at Queensmith, said: “The perfect example of Art Deco jewellery design, Queen Mary’s Bandeau Tiara was worn by Meghan Markle on her wedding day – a really clever choice for the simple style she was going for.

“Paired with her relatively plain wedding dress, the simple shape of the bandeau tiara mimicked the neckline of her dress.

“Compared to many other royal tiaras, the bandeau is a little more understated in design.

“In true Art Deco style, it is blocky and geometric, less ornate and ‘fairytale Princess-like’ than the tiaras we saw Kate Middleton, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice wear on their wedding days.”

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