The Queen has ‘banned’ the Duchess of Sussex from wearing some of the priceless items from her Royal Collection, it has been revealed today.
Certain priceless items from the collection, which are loaned at the discretion of Her Majesty, will not be made available to Meghan, according to a palace insider.
The move reportedly came after the Queen was left ‘unimpressed by Meghan’s demanding behaviour’ ahead of her marriage to Prince Harry last year – during which he is reported to have told staff, ‘What Meghan wants Meghan gets.’
Buckingham Palace has reportedly introduced the stringent new rules in a bid to ‘maintain order, hierarchy and precedence’ within the Royal Family.
The Queen (pictured right in 2015), has reportedly ‘banned’ the Duchess of Sussex from wearing some of the priceless items from her Royal Collection
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex after their wedding at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018
Left, Princess Diana wearing The Queen Mary Tiara in New Zealand during April 1983 and right, The Duchess of Cambridge wearing the tiara at Buckingham Palace in December 2018
A ‘royal insider’ told The Sun: ‘To be perfectly honest, the Queen herself was not impressed with some of Meghan’s demands, especially as a new member of the family.
‘As a result, Buckingham Palace has decided that not all items from the Queen’s royal collection will be opened up to Meghan.
‘As part of that situation, the Queen informed Prince William that the items from the Royal Collection worn by Princess Diana would not immediately be made available to Meghan.’
Last month, The Mail on Sunday revealed the Prince of Wales told the Duchess of Sussex not to wear a tiara to her first overseas state dinner, fearing it might look ‘extravagant’.
The Duchess had hoped to borrow a jewelled tiara from the Royal Collection for the event, but she was advised by her father-in-law that such ostentation is avoided in parts of the Commonwealth where it can be seen as reminiscent of a bygone era or ‘extravagant’.
A source said: ‘Meghan did not understand all of this because she was new to the role and so Prince Charles told her that it would not be appropriate.
‘It was very kindly done.’
Left, The Duchess of Cambridge at The Portrait Gala in 2014 and right, at the annual Remembrance Sunday Service at the Cenotaph on Whitehall on November 13, 2016
The absence of a tiara drew attention when Meghan, wearing a blue full-length gown by Safiyaa, arrived for the dinner hosted by the president of Fiji Jioji Konrote – not least because the Duchess of Cambridge wore a large diamond and pearl headpiece once owned by Princess Diana to a state banquet at Buckingham Palace on the same night.
However Meghan did at the time wear a pair of diamond earrings that are thought to have been borrowed, possibly from the Royal Collection, which is the largest private collection of art in the world.
Last year, Meghan and Harry’s wedding preparations shaken by a dispute over another tiara. The former Suits actress had reportedly set her heart on an emerald encrusted headpiece, but her request was refused when the origin of the piece could not be established.
When Harry heard this, he reportedly said, ‘What Meghan wants, Meghan gets’, prompting the Queen to intervene.
At the time, a source was quoted as saying: ‘There was a very heated exchange that prompted the Queen to speak to Harry.
‘She said: “Meghan cannot have whatever she wants. She gets what tiara she’s given by me.” ’
The Queen wearing the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace made by Cartier, the George IV State Diadem and the insignia of the Order of the Garter, circa 1953
Meghan’s something borrowed: Which tiara did she wear?
Meghan’s sparkling tiara is Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau, which has been loaned to her by Harry’s grandmother the Queen.
Royal brides are traditionally loaned priceless heirlooms to wear on their wedding day.
Meghan could have chosen the Spencer tiara – famously worn by Harry’s later mother Diana, Princess of Wales when she married the Prince of Wales in 1981.
But Meghan has instead selected this little known piece, which features a magnificent floral-shaped suspended brooch in the centre made of a large round diamond surrounded by nine smaller circular diamonds.
It was specifically made for the Queen’s grandmother Queen Mary in 1932 to accommodate the detachable brooch, which was given to Mary as a wedding present in 1893 by the County of Lincoln.
The bandeau is a flexible band of 11 intricate glittering sections, pierced with interlaced ovals and pave set with large and small brilliant diamonds.
The bandeau and the brooch were bequeathed by Queen Mary to her granddaughter the Queen on her death in 1953.
Meghan Markle wore a diamond tiara belonging to the Queen’s grandmother Queen Mary (LEFT). The stunning piece was designer for Queen Mary (right) in 1932 and features a diamond brooch she received as a wedding present in 1893
The bandeau, chosen from Her Majesty’s collection, is formed as a flexible band of eleven sections, pierced with interlaced ovals and pavÈ set with large and small brilliant diamonds
Meghan’s sparkling tiara is Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau, which has been loaned to her by Harry’s grandmother the Queen
In the end, Meghan wore Queen Mary’s diamond and platinum bandeau tiara from the Queen’s private collection during the wedding ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
Meghan picked the tiara from the Queen’s collection during a visit to Buckingham Palace with Prince Harry, which she described as ‘an incredibly surreal day’.
Meghan and Prince Harry recorded their memories of the wedding for an audio commentary that is part of the ‘Relive the Royal Wedding’ exhibition at Windsor Castle.
Speaking about the tiara she wore, Meghan said: ‘When it came to the tiara on the day, I was very fortunate to be able to choose this gorgeous art deco style bandeau tiara.
‘Harry and I had gone to Buckingham Palace to meet with Her Majesty The Queen to select one of the options that were there, which was an incredibly surreal day as you can imagine.
‘And that was the one that, I think, as we tried them on, stood out.’
Kensington Palace and Buckingham Palace have been approached for comment.
What were Meghan’s tiara options for her wedding day?
The Spencer Tiara, which was famously worn by Diana on her wedding day to Prince Charles in 1981, was considered to be a contender for Meghan to wear on her wedding day.
The Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara – another favourite of Diana’s that has also been worn by the Duchess of Cambridge on several occasions – was also put forward as an option by experts.
However, the Cartier Halo Scroll Tiara worn by Kate on her wedding day was not available to the bride, as the dazzling headpiece is currently on display in Australia.
Some experts had suggested that Meghan would have a tiara specially commissioned for her – like the Duchess of York on her wedding day.
But she ultimately opted for a little known piece, the Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau.
SPENCER TIARA
The Spencer Tiara was worn by Princess Diana at her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981, and worn by her on numerous occasions after her big day.
The tiara is a family heirloom that was also worn by all of Diana’s sisters on their wedding days.
The headpiece, which was made by Garrads in the 1930s, has an elaborate design of stylised flowers decorated with diamonds in silver settings.
The tiara is now owned by Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, so Harry would have to borrow it from his uncle if his bride were to wear it on her big day.
Diana wore the Spencer Tiara, which is a family heirloom, on numerous occasions after her wedding. She is pictured here in 1985
Royal experts believed the Spencer Tiara, worn by Princess Diana on her wedding day, could have been a contender
CAMBRIDGE LOVER’S KNOT
The Cambridge Lover’s Knot was another favourite of Diana’s, and remains in the Royal Collection.
The diamond and pearl-encrusted tiara was made in 1914 by Garrard, and was given to Diana by the Queen as a wedding gift in 1981.
It was designed by the Queen’s grandmother Queen Mary and based on one owned by Mary’s grandmother Princess Augusta, and has previously been worn by the Queen.
The tiara has also been worn by the Duchess of Cambridge on several occasions.
The Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara was another potential contender, as it was another one of Princess Diana’s favourites
STRATHMORE ROSE OR LOTUS FLOWER TIARA
Belonging to the Queen mother, it has not been worn in public for many years.
The understated Lotus Flower tiara, which also belonged to the Queen Mother was a favourite of Princess Margaret.
The Lotus Flower tiara was previously worn by Kate at a state banquet held for Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015.
The Lotus Flower tiara was previously worn by Kate at a state banquet in 2015