On June 19, 1999, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh exchanged vows in a low-key ceremony inside Windsor Castle’s walls at St George’s Chapel.
The couple took on duties as full-time royals in the early 2000s just after Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee, and they have continued ever since.
Fine jewellers and engagement ring specialists at Steven Stone closely examined the stunning tiara Sophie wore on their special day.
The tiara worn by Sophie on her wedding day was selected from Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewellery collection.
She has worn the diadem for several royal ceremonies since her wedding, including the nuptials of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling in 2010 and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson in 2004.
It is interesting to note that it appears she was given the diadem to keep, which was not the case for Kate, Princess of Wales or Meghan Markle.
Although it has never been confirmed, it is believed that the tiara was created by David Thomas of Asprey & Garrard, the Crown Jeweller at the time, using four parts from Queen Victoria’s Regal Circlet.
The removable fleur-de-lis, Maltese cross, and anthemion components of Queen Victoria’s Regal circlet could be swapped out and reconfigured.
The Anthemion Tiara is so named because of its utilisation of the ancient Greek method known as anthemion, which involves a number of radiating petals.
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The exquisite diadem is valued at an astounding £1.25million by Steven Stone jewellery specialists.
Maxwell Stone, a diamond expert told Express.co.uk: “Sophie certainly stunned on her wedding day and she gave a sweet nod to several members of the Royal Family through her jewellery choices – including Prince Edward, who’d gifted her the black and white pearl necklace and matching earrings that she was wearing.
“We couldn’t take our eyes off Sophie’s beautiful diamond tiara, which was chosen from Queen Elizabeth II’s private jewellery collection.
“Though the Anthemion tiara also pays tribute to another former monarch, as it was reportedly constructed using four pieces from Queen Victoria’s Regal Circlet.
“It’s also possible that the tiara serves as a tribute to Prince Philip, due to its use of anthemion – a technique used in ancient Greek times. Before he married Queen Elizabeth II, the late royal was Prince of Greece and Denmark.
“It’s incredibly difficult to put a price on such a magnificent piece. I’d estimate it to be worth approximately £1.25million.”
The then-Earl and Countess of Wessex wed in a modest ceremony, despite their wedding attracting 200 million spectators.
Sophie, who is always a trailblazer, wore a Samantha Shaw coat-style dress that was embellished with over 325,000 pearls and crystal beads. Some of the beads bordered Sophie’s V-neck, cuffs, and hemline, while others were scattered throughout the material.
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