When Kate Middleton walks down the aisle of Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, to wed Prince William, she may very well wear one of the many crowns in the royal collection befitting a princess. Some of the glittering contenders (clockwise, from left): The Duchess of Teck, The Strathmore, The Delhi Durbar and The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland.
THE STRATHMORE
The Queen mum sported this simple yet stunning floral headpiece in 1928, a gift from her parents on the occasion of her marriage to Prince Albert two years earlier.
THE CAMBRIDGE LOVER'S KNOT
Queen Elizabeth gave this pearl-and-diamond tiara (seen on her in 1958) to Diana as a wedding gift, but experts tell PEOPLE they'd be surprised if the tiara will pass down to Kate.
Opinions are mixed as this article believes it is "likely" for Kate to wear the tiara on her wedding day.
Another opinion: If Kate strolls down the aisle of Westminster Abbey in the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara, tongues will immediately start wagging about continued connections with the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Some have suggested that Kate might get the Lover’s Knot if she and William are created Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; it gets its Cambridge name because it was made for Queen Mary to look like a tiara once owned by her grandmother, the Duchess of Cambridge. It’s a gorgeous tiara, with its drop pearls and heart motifs. And it would make sense for Kate to eventually don this piece if she is Duchess of Cambridge.
THE DUCHESS OF TECK
Not often seen in public since the 1940s, the tiara's rose centerpiece also features diamond-set ears of wheat and crescents fashioned in gold and silver.
This neoclassical crown once belonged to Queen Mary's mother, the Duchess of Teck, whose prized jewellery collection was passed down to her daughter upon her death in 1897.
THE DUCHESS OF YORK
A fortuitous move by the royal family or foreshadowing? Sarah Ferguson's diamond tiara did not come from the royal collection – but was purchased for her from Garrard's, the crown jewellers of the time, for her July 23, 1986, wedding to Prince Andrew.
THE SPENCER
Kate won't get the Spencer family headpiece that Diana wore on her wedding day. But she might land the sapphire necklace William's late mum got as a wedding gift from the Saudi Crown Prince, which she wore along with her tiara during an official tour of Australia in 1983.
THE GIRLS OF GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND
Known affectionately in the family as “Granny’s tiara," this tiara was purchased by a committee that raised money from the girls of Great Britain and Ireland (hence the name), this regal crown is considered one of the Queen's favorites. It’s perhaps the most frequently worn of all of the Queen’s tiaras, because it’s light and easy to wear.
Worn by Queen Mary (left), it was passed to granddaughter Elizabeth (right) on her wedding day. Since then, the regal headpiece has been spotted on the Queen during her visit to Bangladesh in 1983 and, more recently, to a state dinner in Toronto.
The 'WESSEX'
The Countess of Wessex Sophie Rhys-Jones wore a stunning yet modest tiara when she wed Queen Elizabeth's youngest son Prince Edward on June 19, 1999. The tiara, a wedding gift from the royal family, is believed to be made up of jewels once belonging to Queen Victoria.
THE SCROLL
Elizabeth loaned her mother's tiara to sister Princess Margaret for a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in 1954. Nearly 20 years later, her daughter Princess Anne donned the elegant headpiece during a royal tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1970.
THE DELHI DURBAR
The circle of brilliant-cut diamonds mounted in gold and set in platinum was made by Garrards in 1911 and Queen Mary wore it in Delhi to mark the start of King George V's reign as King and Emperor of India. "Durbar" is Hindi for a "ceremonial gathering to pay homage."
The Delhi Durbar was inherited by the Queen in 1953 and was worn by the Duchess of Cornwall in 2005 to a ball where she met the Norwegian Royal Family.
Prior to that outing, it was last worn in 1947 by the Queen Mother for an official visit to South Africa.
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