Doria Ragland and Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle (R) with her mother, Doria Ragland, drive down the Long Walk as they arrive at Windsor Castle ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry on May 19, 2018, in Windsor, England. Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

What makes modern-day princesses like Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle stand out apart from their titles, expensive coats and stylish clothes? It is the tiaras. Tiaras are a symbol of high status for women, just like crowns for the kings and queens.

Back in the days, tiaras were a part of the royalty's everyday life. Now these tiaras can only be seen on royal weddings and special events. The royal family owns numerous tiaras; some were passed down to them. Gems and diamonds are embedded in the tiaras, which makes them more valuable. Some of these tiaras can be viewed in the Tower of London.

Every princess looks exceptional with her signature tiara, like Princess Dina with the Lover's Knot Tiara, which she wore on her wedding day, and Princess Eugenie with her unconventional Greville Emerald Tiara.

But have you ever wondered why Meghan has not worn any tiaras after her wedding? Apparently, these princesses cannot just pick tiaras and wear them whenever they like. There are royal rules to be followed when it comes to tiaras.

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were not allowed to wear tiaras during the royal weddings of Cambridge and Sussex even though they are princesses by birth. One of the most known protocols when it comes to tiaras is that tiaras can only be worn by brides and married royals. Tiaras symbolize a woman’s loss of innocence to love and is a sign that she is married. For the men, it means to back off from the lady in tiara.

Like Cinderella’s glass slippers, tiaras can be worn at certain times only. The lavish headpiece is filled with real diamonds and gems designed for formal affairs, which means that it can be worn from 6 p.m. onward. The exception to this is events held earlier than 6 p.m., like weddings.

So who chooses the tiaras that these princesses wear in their weddings? The brides have the liberty to pick from their husband’s royal vault. An exemption, though, applied to Kate and Meghan as both of them are not from the royal family. The tiaras they wore during their weddings were borrowed from the British monarch.

There is also a rule on how to properly wear tiaras. Their proper placement is crucial as it avoids unnecessary attention during formal occasions. The traditional way of placing tiaras is “with the surface of the jewel work in the same plane as your face, so that the full impact of the jewel work is made on the other guests.”

Kate, Meghan and Princess Eugenie wore their tiaras differently. They wore it “quite far back on the head, normally running in a line from just behind the ears at an angle of about 45 degrees when viewed from the side,” Mappin & Webb director Elizabeth Galton explained.

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