The Princess of Wales has worn the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot Tiara 15 times, far more than any other tiaraBy

Kate Middleton and Princess Diana wearing the Lover’s Knot Tiara.Credit : Aaron Chown-WPA Pool/Getty; Anwar Hussein/WireImage

Kate Middleton has worn five different tiaras since becoming part of the British royal family, but she’s reached for one over and over again — perhaps for a very special reason.

The Princess of Wales, 44, has worn the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot Tiara over a dozen times first sporting it in 2015. The tiara was created for Queen Mary in 1913 and was inherited by Queen Elizabeth upon her death. Princess Diana was known to wear the regal headpiece during her royal life.

Throughout her marriage to the future King Charles, the Lover’s Knot was a favorite of Diana. She wore the diamond and pearl headpiece at state banquets, alternating it with the smaller Spencer family tiara.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana in April 1983.Anwar Hussein/Getty

Princess Kate has worn the Lover’s Knot far more than any of her other tiaras. With the most frequency after the Lover’s Knot Tiara is the Lotus Flower Tiara, which she’s worn three times. She’s also sported the Cartier Halo Tiara, the Strathmore Rose Tiara and Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara just one time each.

Former royal butler Grant Harrold told InStyle that the family connection — channeling her mother-in-law as both a tribute to the late princess and a meaningful gesture to her husband, Prince William — makes it easy to understand why Princess Kate wears the piece so often.

“It’s obviously a favorite of Kate’s, and it’s easy to see why, as it’s an incredible piece of jewelry,” Harrold said. “It suits her perfectly and works well with her hair, as it can be worn with both up and down styles.”

“However, I believe there is a stronger, more emotional reason why we’ve seen her wearing it so often since she joined the royal family,” he added. “It’s very much a tribute to Diana, as it was one of her favorite pieces.”

“I believe Kate wears this [tiara] to keep her late mother-in-law’s memory alive,” the former butler continued. “Kate will know how much William misses his mother, so I think she makes a conscious effort to incorporate elements of her during her time as Princess of Wales. I’m sure [William] will remember his mum wearing the tiara, and I imagine it will mean a lot to him when he sees Kate in the piece.”

“There are obviously many comparisons between the two royal women, and this is a way Kate can ensure people continue to talk about and remember Diana,” he added. “I think it’s very clever and special and shows how thoughtful Kate is.”

Prince William and Kate Middleton attend a state banquet for the president of France on July 8, 2025.Aaron Chown – Pool/Getty

Tiaras aren’t the only jewelry that connects Princess Kate to Diana’s memory. When Prince William, 43, proposed to his future bride in 2010, he did so with the same ring that his father gave his mother before they married.

When William and Kate gave their first interview as a newly-engaged couple, William shared why it was so meaningful to give her his mother’s ring.

“I thought it was quite nice because obviously, she’s not going to be around to share any of the fun and excitement of it all — this was my way of keeping her sort of close to it all,” he said.