Family Heirloom, The Spencer tiara: Part IV
The Spencer headpiece, was made by Garrads, it has an elaborate design of stylised flowers decorated with diamonds in silver settings. Said to date back to the 18th century, it was given to Diana's grandmother, Cynthia, Viscountess Althorp, by a distant relative called Lady Sarah Spencer as a wedding gift in 1919.
It wasn't until the 1930s that the family enlisted the help of fine jeweler Garrard to remount the tiara with new elements, making it the iconic tiara it's become today. It features large gold scrolling foliage adorned with tulips, stars and a central heart, each decorated with diamonds and set in silver. Its curved shape and whimsical design make it different to the more formal style of royal headpieces.
Lady Sarah McCorquodale, 1980
Diana's eldest sister, Lady Sarah, wore the Spencer tiara on her wedding day to Neil McCorquodale in 1980 in Northamptonshire.
Lady Jane Fellowes, 1978
Diana's second oldest sister, Lady Jane, also sported the tiara on her wedding day to Robert Fellowes, Baron Fellowes in 1978, who was then the assistant private secretary to the Queen.
Lady Diana Spencer, 1981
Lady Diana Spencer for her 1981 wedding to Prince Charles, she chose a Spencer family heirloom, the Spencer tiara, over a precious royal family diadem and gift from her mother-in-law (the Queen), the Queen Mary's Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara.
Victoria Aitken, 1989
Charles Spencer's first wife, Victoria Lockwood, wore the Spencer tiara for their nuptials in 1989.
Lady Celia McCorquodale, 2018
Princess Diana's niece was the last family member to have worn the Spencer tiara for her wedding to George Woodhouse in June 2018.
Fun facts -
While all three of the Spencer sisters donned the jewels for their nuptials, their mother, Frances Shand Kydd, did not wear it when she married into the Spencer family in 1954.
Surprisingly, Charles Spencer's second wife, Caroline and third wife Karen did not wear the Spencer tiara at their wedding.
Meghan Markle was offered the Spencer tiara, but chose the Queen Mary's tiara for her big day.
Lady Kitty chose not to wear the Spencer tiara for her wedding when she was in fact fully entitled and expected to wear this tiara as the next Spencer woman to marry after her mother and aunts all got wed in the 20th century.
