Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, Wore a Stunning Tiara to the Nigerian State Banquet

Lauren HubbardWed, March 18, 2026 at 9:52 PM UTC

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Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, Wore a TiaraHENRY NICHOLLS - Getty Images

The royal family is out in force for a state banquet for the President and First Lady of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Oluremi Tinubu.

The banquet is part of a multi-day state visit by the Nigerian leaders. Among the festivities, the couple were welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as Prince William and Kate Middleton. They also observed a procession by the Guard of Honor, and laid a wreath on the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II.

Birgitte, Duchess of Gloucester, and her husband, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, joined the royal family in procession at the banquet, where Birgitte paired a lush navy blue gown with a cascading diamond necklace and the Iveagh Tiara.

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The kokoshnik-style diamond tiara features a closely woven motif of floral scrollwork, lending it ample sparkle. The piece was originally presented as a wedding gift for Queen Mary in 1893 by Lord and Lady Iveagh, and was later bequeathed to Mary’s daughter-in-law Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. In turn, it was passed down, through Richard, to Birgitte. The current duchess also leant the piece to her own daughter, Lady Rose Gilman, for her wedding in 2008.

Danish-born Birgitte married Prince Richard, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, in February 1972. In 2024 she made royal history by being named a a Royal Lady Companion in the Order of the Garter, making her the first married-in member of the royal family—who wasn't married to the monarch or the heir to the throne—to join the Order.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”