This is how the Duchess of Kent turned Queen Mary’s tiara into a personal style statement

The Duchess of Kent spent her later years living a private life and spending her time as a music teacher, Mrs. Kent. She was also a working royal for decades though, and often attended state banquets and gala dinners on behalf of the royal family. The Kent Pearl and Diamond Fringe Tiara was one of her signature pieces that she frequently wore. 

Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, gifted the modest diamond tiara to Katharine Worsley when she married her son, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent in 1961. In the mid-1970s, the tiara underwent a transformation.

The base of the tiara was created by Garrard & Co for Queen Mary in the mid-1920s and features a dot-dash bandeau of round and lozenge diamonds that is now known as the “Garrard Windsor Motif”. 

In the 1970s, the Duchess of Kent refitted the base with a diamond spike and pearl topper upper piece for a much taller silhouette. It became her go-to tiara for the State Opening of Parliament each year. 

The Duchess of Kent’s fairtytale royal wedding

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However, the Kent Diamond and Pearl Fringe Tiara also became a treasured family piece. In 1992, Katharine’s daughter, Lady Helen, married Timothy Taylor and wore the diamond and pearl tiara.

The Duchess of Kent’s daughter in law, the Countess of St. Andrews, also wore the tiara.