Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue
Meghan’s bridal jewellery is borrowed, old, new and blue
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Arriving at the church, St George's Chapel, Windsor, in a contemporary wedding gown with bateau neckline made of double bonded silk cady designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, and a five meter long veil made from silk tulle with a trim of 53 hand-embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth, the bridal jewellery would have to be special.
Tiara
Loaned by the Queen, Meghan wore a rarely seen tiara known as the Queen Mary diamond bandeau tiara, which was previously owned by the Queen’s own grandmother and was last worn by Princess Margaret in 1965.
Made of platinum, the tiara is dated 1932, and was made for Queen Mary to accommodate a brooch dated 1893, which was given to her by the County of Lincoln on her wedding to Prince George, Duke of York.
The bandeau is formed as a flexible band of eleven sections, pierced with interlaced ovals and pavé set with large and small brilliant diamonds in art deco style. The centre is set with a detachable brooch of ten brilliant diamonds. Although a statement from Kensington Palace did not associate a particular jewellery house with the tiara, it is thought to be by Garrard which was the Crown jeweller in the 1930s.
The bridal jewellery for the wedding service was kept to a contemporary minimum, with the diamond bandeau, bracelet and earrings.
A necklace was not worn, as it is thought that it would have interfered with the clean lines of the couture wedding gown and the Givenchy bateau neckline.
Earrings
Megan accentuated the circular central brooch in the tiara with her own white gold Galanterie Cartier earrings which she had previously been seen wearing at a reception for the Invictus Games Sydney last month.
Bracelet
On her right wrist the bride wore a new Reflection de Cartier bracelet in white gold made with baguette cut, princess cut and trillion cut diamonds. Estimates on the cost of the bracelet are circa £136,000.
Rings
The Duchess of Sussex wore for her procession down the aisle, her Cleave & Co engagement ring on her right hand, and emerged after the wedding service with the three stone ring placed back on her left hand coupled with her new Welsh gold wedding band.
Sourced by Prince Harry himself in Botswana, the central cushion cut stone of the engagement ring is set in yellow gold between two diamonds which previously belonged to jewellery from Princess Diana’s own collection.
The plain slim yellow gold wedding band, was also made by Cleave & Co who also made the Duke’s plain textured platinum band. It was revealed in interview by Prince Harry that yellow gold was Meghan’s favourite on the occasion of their engagement and that Meghan's ring has been fashioned from a piece of welsh gold, gifted by Her Majesty The Queen.
For the evening reception, a change of clothes was made by bride and groom, with the Duchess wearing a backless Stella McCartney gown, which they then both drove away in a Jaguar E-Type car to the evening reception at Frogmore House.
Evening jewellery consisted of Meghan’s own white gold Galanterie Cartier earrings and a statement blue cocktail ring on her right hand. The aquamarine cocktail ring is thought to have been a wedding present from the Duke, as it bears a strong resemblance to a ring which Diana Princess of Wales was pictured wearing back in 1997.
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