Catherine Middleton Wears the Halo/Scroll Tiara!

Well at long last dear readers we are here. Catherine and William are married and we finally know all the details as they were revealed before our eyes. Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen designed the gown which took a page right out of Grace Kelly's playbook. Well played Miss Middleton... now the Duchess of Cambridge. The tiara she wore was one of my personal favorites from the list of contenders. We knew it as the "Scroll" tiara, but the palace has confirmed that it is actually known to the British Royal Family as the Cartier Halo tiara. We now know that the tiara was purchased by the Duke of York (King George VI) for the Duchess of York (the Queen Mother) in 1936. It is a rolling cascade of scrolls that converge in a central ornament surmounted by a brilliant diamond. We now know that the tiara was given to Queen Elizabeth II for her eighteenth birthday and she has subsequently loaned it to both her sister Princess Margaret and her daughter Princess Anne.

Image of the Halo from the Cartier Archives

The Halo tiara is a youthful feminine tiara with absolutely zero severity. The paisley like scrolls picked-up the lace details of her dress. An absolutely perfect choice.

Detail with gauzy veil in play, perfection!

The Queen Mother wearing the the Halo tiara with King George VI.

Collage of pictures of the stunning Princess Margaret wearing the Halo to various engagements in the 1950s.

Collage of pictures of Princess Anne wearing the Halo to state events in the 1960s/early 1970s.