Meander Tiara: Express.co.uk expert on Princess Anne's jewels
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The Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall was every inch the stunning royal bride when she married rugby ace Mike Tindall on July 30, 2011. The pair tied the knot in the presence of the Royal Family at the Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh, and Zara made sure to pay tribute to her relatives with her regal tiara.
Zara picked a diadem with a long royal provenance, and the Meander Tiara can be seen as a touching tribute to her grandfather, Prince Philip.
Alexandra Michell, Gemologist at Prestige Pawnbrokers Hatton Garden, said: “‘Something borrowed’ does not escape the Royal Family!
“The stunning tiara, which belonged to Zara’s great-grandmother (Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark) was lent to Zara on her wedding day by her mother, Princess Anne.
“The Meander Tiara is the most glamorous piece from Princess Anne’s stunning jewellery collection.
“Her mother, Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) received it as a wedding gift in 1947 from Princess Alice of Battenberg, who originally acquired it after she married Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark in 1903.
“[The Queen] was never photographed wearing it as she went on to other grander pieces. Although Princess Anne was seen wearing it on several occasions, the Queen eventually gifted the tiara to her just before her engagement to Mark Phillips in 1972.
“Anne has been seen wearing it on a regular basis at state functions and for official photographs.”
While the Meander Tiara is undoubtedly valuable to the Royal Family in a sentimental sense, the stunning piece is also worth a staggering six-figure sum.
Ms Michell added: “There is no surprise that the bandeau is of a meander design (Greek key) and has a centre laurel and honeysuckle decoration either side.
“It is studded with diamonds set in a white precious metal more likely to be platinum because of the era it was made. It is perceived to be made by Cartier in France.
“It is not known how much the tiara is worth, but I estimate it to be worth more than £1million and if it is a Cartier piece, it could be as much as £2 to £4million.”
The Meander Tiara was a unique choice for Zara and was completely different from the tiara worn by her mother at her 1973 wedding.
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Anne wore Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara when she married Captain Mark Phillips, the same tiara the Queen wore when she married Prince Philip in 1947.
The Meander Tiara has not been seen on a royal bride since Zara either, with Meghan Markle opting for Queen Mary’s Bandeau Tiara for her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry.
Princess Eugenie wore the Greville Emerald Tiara from the Queen’s collection in 2018, while her sister Princess Beatrice also wore Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara when she married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020.
But as Princess Anne’s granddaughters, it stands to reason that Zara and Mike’s daughters Mia and Lena Tindall may wear the Meander Tiara for their big days in the future.
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