When Prince Harry turns 30 on September 15th, he will not only inherit £10 million from his late mother’s estate, but also over 150 of her possessions, to be shared with his older brother, the Duke of Cambridge.
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According to the Telegraph, the Princess of Wales‘ will states that her belongings, which include two tiaras, her wedding gown (designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel), family jewels, letters, home videos and photos, be handed over to the two princes upon her youngest son’s 30th birthday.
Up until that date, Diana’s items have been looked after by her younger brother, Earl Spencer.
He showcased many of her items at the family pile, Althorp, where Diana’s remains are buried on a private island. The exhibit, Diana: A Celebration was displayed around the world and officially closed last month.
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Though it hasn’t been disclosed which tiaras are left to the boys, I can’t help but speculate that perhaps the Spencer tiara (below) is one, worn by Diana on her wedding day in July 1981.
However, it being a family heirloom, I’m not sure it’s her to give away (even to her sons). There is another one, the Spencer Honeysuckle Tiara, that Diana never wore in public. According to Artemisia’s Royal Jewels, the tiara has been in the Spencer family since the 19th century.
The Princess of Wales also wore the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara (above), a wedding gift from the Queen (Diana reportedly found it too heavy to wear and opted instead for the Spencer Tiara, according to the Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor). Diana did wear it on several occasions thereafter.
Also included in the items to be handed over to William and Harry are:
- The original copy of Earl Spencer’s eulogy from Diana’s funeral on September 6th, 1997
- Lyrics to the revised version of “Candle in the Wind,” re-written by Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin for the funeral
- Family Paintings
- Letters
- 28 other dresses worn by the Princess
Earl Spencer opened the exhibit in September 1998, which a spokesperson told the Telegraph “has been admired by thousands of people around the world, and has been a wonderfully tasteful celebration of the late Diana, Princess of Wale’s life and achievements – particularly her charitable works and her glamour.”
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As stated above, I have no idea which tiaras are left to the William and Harry; everything I’ve written is merely speculation. With that said, do you agree? Or do you think it might be other pieces?
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