Duchess Kate wears Princess Diana's Tiara

This evening, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended their second Diplomatic Reception hosted by The Queen at Buckingham Palace. The annual white-tie soirée is one of the most formal events on the royal calendar.  It is a private function and the public only get glimpses as guests arrive at the palace.

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Here they are arriving at the Reception in a chauffeur-driven Bentley.

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At first glance, I thought these pictures were from the 2013 Diplomatic Reception because Kate wore the same dress; the Alexander McQueen ice blue lace gown. She also chose the same earrings loaned to her from Her Majesty. But tonight there was one striking difference! Kate debuted a new tiara, the Queen Mary Lovers Knot Tiara.

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The iconic tiara was gifted to Diana, Princess of Wales upon her marriage to Prince Charles. Princess Diana wore it on many occasions and the piece came to be associated with the image of the popular princess.

View image | gettyimages.com

The Queen Mary Lover's Knot Tiara dates back to 1913. It was commissioned by Queen Mary (the present Queen’s grandmother) and modelled after the Cambridge Lover's Knot tiara worn by her grandmother, the Duchess of Cambridge. The tiara features large natural pearls hang down from 19 diamond lover’s knots (hence the name).

Upon her death, Queen Mary left the tiara to her granddaughter Princess Elizabeth (Queen Elizabeth II) who also wore it extensively. The Queen later gave it to Diana as a wedding present. On her divorce from Prince Charles it was returned to Her Majesty and remained in the royal vault until today!

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