Princess Diana’s Wedding Tiara, Redesigned by Garrard in 1937

There is always much discussion before a wedding about what a bride might wear. However, there has never been quite so much speculation as that which preceded the royal wedding of Princess Diana to the then Prince Charles in 1981. Watched by some 750 million viewers throughout the world, the wedding remains the second most-viewed royal event in history.

One of the main sources of speculation was Diana’s tiara. Royal tiara rules are strict—only a married woman, or bride, may wear one. The first time Diana was officially allowed to wear a tiara was on her wedding day, and everyone wanted a glimpse of it.

Staying true to her roots, Dianadidn’tborrow one of Queen Elizabeth II’s many tiaras from the Royal Collection. Instead, she stepped serenely into Westminster Abbey in a cloud of silk and taffeta, topped with the diamond Spencer Tiara, a family jewel that had been loaned to her by her father, the 8th Earl Spencer. Incorporating elements from other heirloom jewels belonging to the Spencer family, it had been extensively remodelled by Garrard in 1937 for Cynthia Spencer, wife of the 7th Earl Spencer and Diana’s grandmother. 

“When Diana wore her family heirloom for her wedding day, it became one of the most famous tiaras in modern history.”

Claire Scott, Design and Development Director 

The flowing garland design, with scrolls, stars and trumpet-shaped flowers swirling outwards from a central heart shape motif, was the perfect, timeless addition to Diana’s fairytale gown, designed by husband-and-wife team David and Elizabeth Emanuel. “I have vivid memories of watching Diana’s wedding day unfold on TV as a child,” says Sara Prentice, Chief Creative Officer at Garrard. “The tiara, the gown, the whole spectacle of a royal wedding, it was breathtaking. With its classical foliate motifs, the 1930s redesign of the Spencer Tiara by Garrard is so romantic—an ideal choice for a bride.”

Diana’s father continued to loan the Spencer Tiara to her after the wedding. She wore it frequently at white-tie events and on world tours, but she was not the first Spencer to do so. Before the royal wedding, her sisters Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale had also worn the tiara on their wedding days. As is tradition with ancestral family heirlooms, the Spencer Tiara has been passed down through the generations. Today, it remains in the possession of Diana’s brother, the current head of the Spencer family.

Following Diana’s passing in 1997, the Spencer Tiara was showcased as part of the ’Diana: A Celebration’ exhibition, which toured the globe for more than a decade. In 2022, it was put on public display once again as part of the ‘Power & Image: Royal & Aristocratic Tiaras’ exhibition at Sotheby’s London.

“When Diana wore her family heirloom for her wedding day, it became one of the most famous tiaras in modern history,” says Claire Scott, Design and Development Director at Garrard. “The remodelling of the Spencer Tiara in our workshop in 1937 resulted in a lovely, cohesive design that is so typical of the period. Like her sapphire cluster engagement ring, also made by Garrard, this tiara is one of those jewels that will always be associated with Diana.”

Read more about Garrard’s most important creations for the British monarchy in Jewellery of the Royal Family: A Garrard History

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