Where is Kate Middleton’s £1 million wedding tiara now? Did it cost more than Meghan's?

Kate Middleton is a full-time working member of the Royal Family which means she will sometimes wear jewels from the royal collection. The Duchess has been part of the family since marrying her long-term partner, Prince William, on 29 April 2011. The couple have since had three children together, Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, one. Kate first wore a piece from the royal jewellery collection on her wedding day when she picked the Cartier Halo tiara.

At her ceremony, Kate wore a beautiful custom dress made by the fashion house, Alexander McQueen.

The garment had lace sleeves, a fitted bodice which pulled her in at the waist and a large full skirt.

She dressed this up with the Cartier Halo tiara which was steeped in royal history, having been in the family since it was created in 1936.

Prince William’s great grandfather, the Duke of York, had originally given the headpiece to his wife before they became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

The lavish tiara came with a hefty price tag and gemologist and jewellery expert, Deborah Papas, told Express.co.uk how much it cost.

She said: “It is very hard to estimate the value but as a Cartier piece, I would estimate it to be worth approximately £750,000 to £1,250,000.”

Although Kate has since worn similar pieces of royal jewellery for special events, it is likely these were given to her on loan by the Queen and are still part of the royal collection.

As is traditional among royal brides, Meghan Markle also borrowed one of the Queen’s jewels to wear on her big day.

At her wedding to Prince Harry, the Duchess picked the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau tiara which was originally a wedding gift from the County of Lincoln to Queen Mary in 1893.

Expert Deborah Papas estimated the piece could be much more expensive than the one worn by Kate Middleton.

She explained: “It is hard to put a value on this little seen piece but could be worth up to £2 million.”

Kate has been the Duchess of Cambridge since her wedding eight years ago, but her title could change if Prince Charles becomes King. 

It is likely Prince William will be given the title of the Prince of Wales, which would make Kate the Princess of Wales – a title once held by Princess Diana.

Prince Edward’s wife, Sophie Countess of Wessex, wore a specially designed tiara for her wedding ceremony. 

Unlike Kate and Meghan, is is believed Sophie could still be in possession of the tiara as it was commissioned especially for her by the Queen and she has worn it a few times since. 

How did Kate Middleton become a royal?

Early life

Kate Middleton, or Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was born on 9 January 1982 at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, England.

She was born to Michael and Carole Middleton, a former flight dispatcher and air hostess. The couple founded a party supplies company, Party Pieces, in 1987 – now estimated to be worth £30 million.

Kate has a younger sister Pippa Matthews, 34, and a younger brother James Middleton, 31.

Education

Kate and her family moved to Amman, Jordan, in 1984, where the future Duchess was educated at an English-speaking nursery school.

After moving back to Berkshire the family sent Kate to private school, St Andrews School. She went on to briefly study at Downe House before moving onto Marlborough College where she boarded.

For university the young Kate attended the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. Here she was awarded an undergraduate MA (2:1 Hons) in history of art.

Relationship with Prince William

Kate met Prince William when they were both studying at St Andrews, and both living in St Salvator’s Hall. Famously, William reportedly took a fancy to Kate after she wore a see-through dress during a fashion show.

In 2003 the couple began dating and lived together during their second year of university.

The couple split in April 2007, however, in October they were back together.

Wedding

Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton with his late mother Princess Diana’s engagement ring in October 2010. The couple were holidaying in Kenya at the time.

On 29 April 2011 they married at Westminster Abbey with a whopping 26 million watching the event live.

Kate wore an Alexander McQueen dress worth a reported £250,000 on the big day.

Kate assumed the title “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge” and also become the Duchess of Cambridge on the day.