Kate Middleton May Wear 'Floral Headpiece' to King Charles' Coronation Instead of a Tiara: Report
The Princess of Wales might not shimmer in a sparkling headtopper as many imagined for King Charles' coronation
Kate Middleton might skip a tiara for King Charles and Queen Camilla's coronation.
A week before the historic crowning ceremony, The Times reported that the Princess of Wales, 41, plans to shake up past precedent by not wearing the ultimate royal accessory.
"Instead it is thought that she is planning to wear a floral headpiece," The Times reported.
"There are also rumors within palace circles that no royal women will wear tiaras," the outlet added.
While it remains unclear what the coronation flowers might look like, floral fascinators have long been one of Kate's style signatures for formal events. She was last photographed in a flower crown while visiting Tuvalu for Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee tour in 2012.
Related:Will Kate Middleton Break Tradition by Not Wearing a Tiara to the Coronation?
The Times speculated that flowers would neatly weave with King Chares' lifelong interest in the environment and his passion for preserving it. Sustainability has been reflected in other coronation decisions, from the whimsical invitations on recycled paper to Queen Camilla wearing a crown from the royal vault instead of a new commission.
"The sight of the Princess of Wales in a floral crown will set a particular tone, showing the King's reverence for nature and his passion for flowers. It seems like an especially egalitarian touch as well. As the wife of the future King, she will be setting an example for the other women in the congregation, who might find it awkward to even think of wearing tiaras," royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told The Times of the idea of Kate wearing flowers in her hair.
"One result may be that the crowns and regalia covered with precious jewels may stand out in sharper relief as symbols of the monarchy. They are, after all, held in trust by the monarch for the nation and represent the continuity of the monarchy over one thousand years," Bedell added.
Five weeks before the May 6 coronation, PEOPLE reported that the Princess of Wales might not wear a tiara for the grand royal occasion. However, with increased anticipation for her to deliver glamour, PEOPLE understood the conversation around the decision was ongoing.
Looking back at past coronations, there is a precedent for women in the royal family to wear bejeweled headpieces.
"Tiaras were worn by nearly every royal lady at the Queen's coronation in 1953, as well lots of aristocratic women but times have certainly changed in 70 years," Lauren Kiehna, writer of The Court Jeweller tells PEOPLE.
Related:All About the Crowns That Will Be Used at King Charles and Queen Camilla's Coronation
Indeed, seven decades ago, there were tiaras and coronets aplenty, including Queen Elizabeth's maids of honor and hundreds of the peeresses too. Garrard, the crown jeweler at the time, was inundated not only with new commissions from guests attending but also with cleaning requests as everyone dusted off their finest sparkly headwear after the war.
"No one had worn their jewelry or tiaras during the war," recalls author Lady Anne Glenconner, then called Lady Anne Coke and one of Elizabeth's six maids at the coronation. "People were queuing to have their tiaras, which were like great fenders of diamonds, stomachers and necklaces cleaned."
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Should Kate, along with other senior female members of the family forgo a tiara, then presumably long gowns are out of the question too, resulting in a radically different dress code to what might have been expected, with heirloom tiaras potentially replaced with hats or fascinators.
"I'm certainly hoping we'll see coronation tiaras, but it's possible that Charles is following the example of some of his European counterparts, like the King of the Netherlands, and setting a daytime formal dress code for the event," Kiehna tells PEOPLE.
"That would mean that we could still see some grand jewels, like necklaces, brooches and earrings but no tiaras. I'll be sad if that's true, but it may just be another part of the 'de-formalizing' of the British royal world that has taken place over the last several decades," she adds.
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