The annual Diplomatic Reception (a tiara event) was held at Buckingham Palace tonight with senior members of the Royal Family present. This is an event for which we scarcely ever get inside pictures, but from those spotted going to and fro in their cars, we got a BIG surprise...
The Duchess of Cambridge in the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara (a.k.a. Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara)! I honestly thought we'd have a long time to wait to see this baby in use again, and I love it so. Hang on, I need a few more exclamation points here...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My updated entry on this tiara is here; it also has its own entry on this blog here. It was made for Queen Mary and modeled after a tiara worn by her grandmother, Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge. It was inherited by The
Queen, who wore it before loaning it to the late Diana, Princess of
Wales, who made it a signature piece. It returned to The Queen, and she has now loaned it to Kate.
This makes three loaned tiaras from The Queen in just four tiara occasions for The Duchess, which is impressive. Plus, giving this a "soft opening" of sorts - at an event which is mainly private, and where she debuted the Lotus Flower Tiara in 2013 - might just be a brilliant way to introduce the piece, to help get the "Diana's tiara" business over with before a bigger state event.
Oh, and also on loan from The Queen: The Duchess of Cambridge's diamond earrings, which she's been wearing since 2011. We haven't featured those yet. Kate also appears to be wearing the same Alexander McQueen gown she wore to her first Diplomatic Reception in 2013, and we still have not seen a full shot of that.
I read that The Duchess of Cornwall would be attending this event as well, but she wasn't in the car with The Prince of Wales and I haven't seen a picture of her. (Update: Court Circular confirms that she was not in attendance, and aides say she had to pull out because of neck and shoulder pains.) And since there are usually no interior photos released, we have no way of knowing what The Queen wore. This is one year where what we can see is feast enough!
Update #2: For video of the reception and a better look at the tiara on Kate, see here.
Photos: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images
