A Royal ‘What If’:The Tiaras Wallis Simpson Might Have Worn
Had Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, been accepted into the British Royal Family, she would have had access to some of the most exquisite tiaras in the royal vault.
While the Duchess of Windsor built an impressive jewelry collection of her own— as a fully recognized as Duchess, what might her options have been? To answer this, we must first eliminate from consideration the tiaras that would have been out of reach due to her non-queenly status.
Tiaras, much like the monarchy itself, follow a hierarchy. As Wallis would never be Queen, even if welcomed through a morganatic marriage, stately pieces such as the Teck Crescent Tiara, the Vladimir Tiara, the Delhi Durbar Tiara, and the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara would have been out of the question. Likewise, familiar pieces such as the Boucheron Tiara, the Swathmore Rose Tiara, the Cartier Halo Tiara, and the Lotus Blossom Tiara—all worn in recent years by royals of similar rank to the Duchess of Windsor—would also have been unlikely choices, as they belonged to the collection of Elizabeth, Duchess of York, the future the Queen Mother.
From the remaining collection of Queen Mary, however, there were several viable options. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara (tho likely reserved for Princess Elizabeth, the heir apparent), and the demure Greek Key Tiara (often seen on Anne, Princess Royal) were possibilities. However, two tiaras in particular stand out as the most fitting for Wallis: the Queen Mary Bandeau and the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik. To any royal watcher or lover of crown jewels, this is likely not a surprise. I believe these two tiaras were always the planed tiaras for whomever Edward married, the Bandeau for the wedding and the Greville to be used as Princess of Wales. These two tiaras share the modern style of the period, and reflect an evolution in a modern monarchy.
The Queen Mary Bandeau
The Queen Mary Bandeau: A Sleek and Modern Design
When another American Duchess, Meghan of Sussex wore the Queen Mary Bandeau on her wedding, to Prince Harry in 2018, many felt that this would have been a perfect tiara for Wallis.
The Queen Mary Bandeau is a diamond and platinum tiara with a sleek Art Deco aesthetic, perfectly suited to the fashion sensibilities of the 1920s and 1930s—precisely when Wallis Simpson came onto the royal stage. Made in 1932 for Queen Mary, the bandeau was specifically designed to accommodate a detachable brooch, originally gifted to Princess Mary in 1893 by the County of Lincoln as a wedding present when she married the future King George V. The tiara consists of eleven flexible sections, pavé-set with brilliant diamonds in a geometric pattern, making it both elegant and versatile.
Given its history, one might wonder whether Wallis would have chosen this tiara had she been accepted into the Royal Family. While the bandeau’s minimalist and geometric style aligns with her penchant for streamlined couture, its Art Deco to Art Nouveau transition may not have fully suited her personal aesthetic. Wallis’s jewelry collection leaned more towards bold, modernist interpretations of Art Deco rather than the delicate elegance of earlier styles. Nonetheless, the Queen Mary Bandeau remains a fascinating possibility for her, representing a blend of royal tradition and contemporary fashion sensibilities.
The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik
The Greville Emerald Kokoshnik: Wallis’ Likely Favorite
When Princess Eugenie wore this tiara for her wedding, much attention was made that this was the tiara the Meghan Markle wanted to wear, that it seems no one to time to think about who this tiara might have been perfect for Wallis. If Wallis had been given access to royal tiaras, the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik is the one I believe she might have personally chosen above all others. Designed by Boucheron in 1919 for Dame Margaret Greville, this tiara is a masterpiece of Art Deco elegance and features a striking kokoshnik shape inspired by the Russian Imperial Court’s grand jewelry styles.
The tiara is made of rose-cut pavé diamonds set in platinum, featuring six smaller emeralds on either side of a stunning 93.7-carat central emerald. Its dramatic design aligns perfectly with Wallis’s preference for bold statement pieces, particularly those featuring emeralds—a gemstone she frequently wore, including in her famous Cartier engagement ring from Edward.
Enhanced image of Wallis wearing the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik
Had Wallis been a fully accepted royal, it is easy to imagine her selecting this tiara as her signature piece, given her penchant for luxurious emeralds and Art Deco styling.
Had Wallis been a fully accepted royal, it is easy to imagine her selecting this tiara as her signature piece, given her penchant for luxurious emeralds and Art Deco styling. The striking geometry and rich green hues of the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik would have perfectly suited her bold, fashion-forward aesthetic, while the Queen Mary Bandeau, with its understated elegance, would have provided a sophisticated yet modern complement to her collection. These tiaras would have symbolized not only her status but also her unique sense of style, blending tradition with contemporary refinement.
Ultimately, Wallis Simpson’s exclusion from the Royal Family meant she never had access to these extraordinary pieces, and she instead built a collection of custom-designed jewels from Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. Her love for opulent, one-of-a-kind pieces showed that she was never one to follow convention, even when it came to her jewelry. Yet, imagining her in these royal tiaras offers a fascinating “what if” scenario—one where she might have worn the Queen Mary Bandeau as a stylish yet historically significant piece and dazzled in the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik as her personal statement.
While history took a different path, the thought of Wallis in these jewels reminds us of the deep, often hidden, connections between royalty, status, and the art of adornment. Jewelry, much like titles and traditions, carries layers of meaning and symbolism, reflecting power, lineage, and personal expression. In Wallis’s case, the absence of these tiaras underscores the divide between personal love and institutional duty, making her story one of both romance and exile. Whether she would have embraced these heirlooms or continued to forge her own path, the allure of what might have been adds yet another layer of fascination to her enduring legacy.
