The Queen’s antique diamond tiara SNAPPED on the way to her wedding – but fortunately a court jeweller saved the day
IT is a universal truth that NO ONE'S wedding ever runs exactly to plan - and that doesn't exclude royalty.
While The Queen's wedding to Prince Philip in 1947 might have looked like the stuff of fairytales, Her Majesty actually suffered an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction on her special day.
A few hours before Princess Elizabeth (as she was then) was due to leave for Westminster Abbey, the monarch's antique tiara SNAPPED.
And it's hardly surprising once you consider how the piece of jewellery was older than the Queen herself.
Having once belonged to her grandmother Queen Mary, the tiara - which was made in 1919 - was a more minimal version of a Russian kokoshnik design and featured 47 diamond-studded pointed spikes.
Similarly to how Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton have adapted their jewellery collections, Queen Mary commissioned the fringe tiara be made out of a necklace her mother-in-law Queen Victoria gave her as a wedding present in 1893, reports.
The Queen then chose to wear her grandmother's tiara as her "something borrowed" on her special day - but was left devastated when the metal frame snapped as it was being attached to her veil.
Court jeweller Gerrard later revealed how the Queen Mother tried to comfort her daughter by telling her "we have two hours and there are other tiaras".
However, Her Majesty was determined to still wear the piece and so a court jeweller was sent by police escort to Garrard's workshop in London for an emergency repair.
Fortunately, the tiara was welded back together - leaving only a small gap between the central and right spike.
The priceless antique was then returned to the Queen Mother who also loaned it to her younger daughter Princess Margaret for her wedding to Mark Phillip in 1973.
After the Queen Mother passed away in 2002, Her Majesty has since inherited the tiara and now only wears the sentimental piece on rare special occasions.
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