A huge part of the excitement and glamour of a state banquet—at least for royal watchers—is getting to see which tiaras members of the Royal Family choose for the event. When it came to the French state banquet on Tuesday, July 8, some royal women—like Princess Anne with the Festoon Tiara—chose familiar headpieces they've worn on repeat for decades, while others went for bolder choices. Although Duchess Sophie's delicate aquamarine and diamond tiara isn't the showiest of diadems, it actually has a rather clever dual-purpose.
The Duchess of Edinburgh—arriving inside Windsor Castle with her husband, Prince Edward—looked gorgeous in a bespoke white Suzannah dress for the evening honoring French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte. The brand tells Marie Claire that the piece was based on Suzannah's Delphine gown and crafted from a sparkling Italian sequin tweed fabric. Sophie pinned her two royal orders to the left side of the dress, draping her blue Royal Victorian Order sash across one of its sculpted sleeves.
She paired the white dress—which honored one of the colors of France's flag—with her Wessex Aquamarine Tiara. Unlike many royal tiaras, which are passed down through the centuries, this one is a modern design that was created for the duchess by jeweler G. Gollins & Sons. It features a wave-like shape of diamonds topped with an aquamarine stone at its center, and she first wore it to a gala in Monaco in 2005. And although it's a 21st-century tiara, the piece shares something in common with many historic designs.
It turns out the tiara is actually a convertible piece and can be worn as a necklace, which Sophie displayed at Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday party, held at the Ritz London in 2006. Worn around the duchess's neck, one can truly appreciate how big the aquamarine stone is—in fact, I prefer it that way versus the tiara configuration.
It's not uncommon for tiaras, especially older styles, to be multi-purpose pieces. In 2019, Historic Royal Palaces shared a video revealing how a diamond kokoshnik tiara worn by Princess Louise, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, can be converted into an impressive necklace. Several of Queen Elizabeth's favorite tiaras, including Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara and the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara—the Garrard style seen on British bank notes—can also be changed into necklaces.
As for her footwear, the Duchess of Edinburgh swapped her favorite espadrilles for a more evening-appropriate shoe, wearing the same white Emmy London pumps she wore to King Charles's coronation.
