Already have an account?
Get back to the
Entertainment

Sarah Ferguson Hid Her Wedding Tiara Under a Crown of Flowers for a Very Symbolic Reason

Tags:

You know the old wedding saying, “Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue“? For most royal brides, the “something borrowed” is a stunning tiara. Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton both wore tiaras borrowed from Queen Elizabeth on their wedding days. Even Diana wore a tiara —although hers was a Spencer family heirloom. But one royal broke tradition by ditching the crown entirely — well, sort of.

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, walked down the aisle wearing a floral crown, rather than one made of diamonds. But Fergie’s unconventional choice was actually a sweet tribute to her then-husband, Prince Andrew. Not only were gardenias the prince’s favorite flower, they also matched her bouquet — which, in another non-traditional move, was smaller than usual arrangements.

After the ceremony, Fergie removed the floral crown to reveal a stunning diamond-encrusted tiara — the York Diamond Tiara — which the queen had specifically commissioned for the nuptials. The center stone was a breathtaking five-carat diamond, flanked by delicate floral scrollwork. Gemologist Grant Mobley estimated its worth to be at least $300,000.

Sarah Ferguson wedding tiara

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Even though Fergie didn’t really break royal tradition (she ended up wearing a tiara, after all), she did manage to make a powerful statement. When she entered the church, she adorned her head with white flowers, a symbol of purity and hope. Upon her exit, Fergie wore a tiara commissioned by the queen — a sign that she was now a committed member of the royal family, both legally and spiritually.

Always the rule-breaker (like her sister-in-law Diana), Fergie managed to rebel a little bit at her 1986 wedding. For the reception, Andrew and his bride served their guests a rum cake, rather than the traditional fruit cake. Meghan’s lemon and elderflower cake was considered unorthodox, but it seems tame in comparison to a rum cake, doesn’t it?

More From Woman’s World

Why Doesn’t Anyone Talk About How Pretty — And Meaningful — the Royal Family’s Monograms Are?

Princess Diana’s Choice to Give Birth Standing Up in a Hospital Broke a Century of Royal Tradition

13 Sweet Photos of Little Royals Overcoming Their First-Day-of-School Jitters

Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items. Use right arrow key to move into submenus. Use escape to exit the menu. Use up and down arrow keys to explore. Use left arrow key to move back to the parent list.