As Prince William and Princess Kate’s only daughter, Princess Charlotte is set to receive an incredible inheritance – and it includes an iconic item that belonged to her late grandmother
The British royal family has the most exquisite jewellery collection featuring priceless heirlooms and invaluable historical items passed down through the generations.
Princess Kate has loaned a number of glittering pieces over the years, which her daughter Princess Charlotte will also one day have access to. But the nine-year-old is also set to inherit a very special piece that her mother has been unable to wear.
Charlotte is set to be given the iconic Spencer tiara, which previously belonged to her late grandmother, Princess Diana. Diana famously wore the headpiece at her wedding to then-Prince Charles in 1981.
The garland-style tiara features a central heart flanked by continuous running scrolls, and is interspersed with star and trumpet-shaped flowers. It is set throughout with circular and rose-cut, cushion and pear-shaped diamonds, mounted in gold. The tiara belongs to the Spencer family. It was loaned to Diana for her wedding to Charles by her father, John, who continued to let her borrow the piece in the years that followed.
In 1989, it was used for another grand wedding; when Diana’s younger brother Charles married his first wife, Victoria Lockwood. Following John’s death in March 1992, Charles inherited the Spencer estate and assets – including the Spencer tiara. It went on display in London in 2022, at which time Charlotte’s inheritance was also confirmed.
According to HELLO!, the description placed alongside the tiara read, in part: “In the mid-1970s, John Spencer, the 8th Earl Spencer, inherited the tiara. It was subsequently worn by all three of his daughters at their wedding:
Lady Jane in 1978; Lady Sarah in 1980; and finally, Lady Diana the following year, in 1981. The tiara was most recently worn by Celia McCorquodale – niece of the 10th Earl Spencer Charles – at her wedding in the Spring of 2018. The Spencer Tiara is now set to be inherited by Princess Charlotte.”
Charlotte may also be in line to receive another iconic piece of jewellery – Diana’s sapphire engagement ring, which Princess Kate now proudly wears. When Kate married Prince William, she reportedly inherited six pieces from Princess Diana which are set to be worth a total of £16.5million, including Diana’s South Sea pearl earrings, Collingwood earrings, the Saudi sapphire suite and her three-strand pearl bracelet.
Before her death, Diana wrote a “letter of wishes”, in which she explained: “I would like you to allocate all my jewellery to the share to be held by my sons, so that their wives may, in due course, have it or use it.” Kate has also received a number of jewellery pieces from Prince William and King Charles over the years, which could go to Charlotte. These include: the Olympic Cartier set, Ballon Bleu Cartier watch, Promise ring, Eternity band, Green tourmaline and amethyst earrings, shamrock brooch, personalised gold necklace, and amethyst earrings.