Are you still thinking about the Royal Wedding? Reading tweets about Meghan Markle’s beagle, perhaps? If you’re a stickler for details or fashion, perhaps you’ve been wondering why Meghan Markle didn’t match her wedding-day Cartier bracelet and Cartier earrings with a Cartier tiara from the Royal Collection Trust.
We have answers!
On view now at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra is Cartier: The Exhibition, which features a stunning collection of gems and jewels, including many of the Queen of England’s exquisite pieces. This includes Queen Elizabeth II’s Cartier Halo tiara—the one she loaned to the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, for her wedding day.
With the Halo tiara promised for the exhibition, it was unavailable for the newly-minted Duchess of Sussex. Naturally, the Queen being the queen, she has several tiaras in her collection, and loaned Ms. Markle Queen Mary’s bandeau tiara.
A few other tantalizing Cartier facts for your next dinner party conversation:
- In the early 1900s, pearls were the most precious gems in the world.
- Cartier invented the modern wristwatch to help his friend, the pioneering aviator, Alberto Santos-Dumont.
- It could take a year to create one of Cartier’s famous ‘mystery’ clocks.
Find out more about the exhibition here.
If you cannot get to Canberra before July 22nd, you can download our app here (iOS or Android), which includes tours for adults and children, and is available in English and Mandarin.
