Birgitte Wears Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara for Oman State Banquet
A pink topaz centerpiece anchored the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara as Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, joined senior royals for a state banquet marking the official visit of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman, Town & Country reported. The duchess wore a cream coat-dress featuring bejeweled buttons and tea-length cuffed sleeves, drawing comparisons to a style favored by Kate Middleton, according to Town & Country.
The tiara itself carries a century of family history. Queen Mary commissioned the piece in 1910 after her husband, King George V, succeeded to the throne, using diamonds from her wedding gifts, including the Ladies of England Tiara and the Surrey Fringe Tiara, Tatler reported. The design once held the Cullinan V diamond, cut from the largest diamond ever discovered.
Passing Down a Royal Heirloom Through Generations
Following the 1935 wedding of Queen Mary’s son, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, to Lady Alice Montague Douglas Scott, the tiara entered the Gloucester family, Tatler reported. Princess Alice made it a favorite throughout her life, wearing it to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and retaining it until her death in 2004.
The current Duchess of Gloucester, Birgitte, has since made the piece her signature headpiece. She paired it with a smart white ensemble for a 2025 London Guildhall dinner honoring French President Emmanuel Macron, a pairing she repeated for the Oman state banquet, Tatler reported. Unlike fixed-design headpieces, the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara features a modular center embellishment that allows the wearer to swap out stones, as demonstrated by the large pink topaz worn for the Sultan’s visit, Town & Country noted.
Senior Royals Gather for the State Visit
The banquet brought out senior members of the royal family in full force. King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Princess Anne attended the gathering to welcome Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Town & Country reported.
Queen Camilla chose the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara for the occasion. The piece is widely recognized as Queen Elizabeth II’s most popular tiara, having appeared in more royal engagements than any other and featuring on the official currency portrait used throughout her reign, Tatler reported. The visit marks the first official state visit by a Sultan of Oman since March 1982, when Queen Elizabeth II hosted the current Sultan’s predecessor, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who died in 2020, Town & Country noted.