Why it may be a while until we see Princess Charlotte wear a tiara

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published 5 March 2023

While royal fans eagerly await King Charles III's coronation to see both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle in tiaras, they could have to wait a lot longer to see Princess Charlotte in a headpiece.

If Princess Charlotte follows royal tradition, it could be years until the young Princess has the chance to wear a tiara.
Just like her mother, Kate Middleton, and fellow family members, Meghan Markle, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, the majority of royal women do not wear a headpiece until the day of their wedding ceremony.
In other royal news, Kate Middleton says she wants to take Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to UK holiday destination that ‘she misses’.

It will be a momentous occasion when Princess Charlotte steps out in public wearing a tiara for the first time. But looking to other royal women to determine when that will be suggests we will be waiting for a while yet.

It is most likely that the first time Princess Charlotte wears a tiara will be on her wedding day. There are no rules saying that she must wait until this occasion, but the majority of royal women, including Charlotte's mother, Kate Middleton, and her aunt, Meghan Markle, have waited to debut their elaborate headpieces until their marriage ceremony.

But unlike her mum and aunt, who both inherited their titles when marrying into the family, Princess Charlotte was born a royal. But, looking to other women born into the family, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, neither was seen in a tiara until they tied the knot in 2018 and 2020 respectively.

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However, there is a big difference between Charlotte and the York sisters. The Yorks are not working members of the royal family whereas Princess Charlotte is likely to start representing her grandfather, King Charles III, and her father, Prince William, at royal events as a working royal when she reaches a suitable age.

Looking at it this way, Charlotte may follow in the path of her great-aunt, Princess Anne, who wore tiaras prior to her wedding. Anne, the late Queen's only daughter, first wore a tiara when she was 17 and donned another headpiece for her 21st birthday picture.

This could be the tradition Charlotte follows, wearing her first tiara in an official portrait to commemorate a landmark birthday, such as her 18th or 21st.

HELLO!'s Online Royal Correspondent, Danielle Stacey, believes, "While there is a possibility that we could see Princess Charlotte wear a tiara before marriage, like Princess Anne, it seems unlikely in this day and age. Members of the royal family no longer wear tiaras for public events such as film premieres or charity dinners.

"Tiaras are usually reserved for state banquets, the Queen's annual Diplomatic Corps reception and for Her Majesty, the State Opening of Parliament."

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.