It’s been a rough few weeks in royal gossip. While there’s plenty to discuss with King Charles and Queen Camilla’s current flop tour, Prince William and Kate have disappeared. The Sussexes have as well, although the usual suspects can’t take Harry and Meghan’s names out of their mouths. But the Wales kids are on their school holiday, and William and Kate use their kids’ school holidays to disappear every single time. All of which to say, the royalist press is getting really desperate for any kind of content, which is why they’re running stories about Kate’s princess jeggings. This new People Mag exclusive is a next-level “we’re desperate for anything about Kate” story though. Remember Kate’s bonkers DIY Hobby Lobby headpiece at last year’s coronation? Well, People has a hilarious interview with Jess Collett, who designed the custom headpiece, at great expense – Kate reportedly spent £32,000 on the headpiece alone. Sorry, according to Collett, it is a “tiara” not a headpiece.
In the world of millinery, designing a tiara for a future Queen is a life-defining moment. That was the task at hand for Jess Collett, the British hatmaker who was chosen to create one-of-a-kind headpieces for both Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte for King Charles’ coronation on May 6, 2023.
While there was much speculation in the weeks leading up to the big day as to whether Kate would wear something befitting her status as future Queen — guests were asked to wear hats or fascinators to the event, and PEOPLE learned several weeks before the event that Kate was unlikely to wear a traditional tiara — Collett says there was never any doubt in her head what she was creating.
“It was a tiara that I made for the princess, but it was very much based on a piece that I have called ‘The Golden Crown’ — a band of leaves made from gold leather,” she tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. Of “The Golden Crown,” which has been on display in her Notting Hill atelier, “When people wear it, and many people have hired it, they always tell me after that they felt fabulous and radiant from inside,” Collett adds.
Constructed from silver leaves made from tulle, the tiara sparkled bright thanks to the tiny crystals scattered amongst the delicate leaves, each one hand embroidered with real silver thread. The striking design was considered a triumph, even by Collett’s children.
“We were at home watching it from the sofa, in my pajamas with my family. When Catherine arrived, I just … even my children went, ‘Oh wow, Mum, it looks really good.’ And you know children are not afraid to tell the truth!” Collett says. “It was so exciting and nerve-wracking, but everything I have ever dreamed of.”
While the coronation was the first time Collett worked with the Princess of Wales, 42, she’s certainly hoping it won’t be the last. “I remember thinking at the time, ‘Well, I won’t have to do this again, because she’ll be wearing the actual crown next time!’ ” Collett says. “But she always looks good. She’s confidant in her style and she’s so graceful — she’s really grown into the role.”
As GB News points out, Kensington Palace explicitly said that Kate was not wearing a tiara and that the headpiece should not be considered a tiara. Personally, I think the confusion over what to call it is all because Camilla wanted to be the only woman dripping in stolen jewels. Camilla wanted to be the last horse standing and wear all of the diamonds she could get her hands on. I think Camilla ordered all of the royal women to not wear tiaras or lavish jewels because Camilla is also terrified of having her thunder stolen. As for Kate’s headpiece… I still find it so cheap-looking? It really does look like a fashion-school project, and I think it was really inappropriate for an occasion like the coronation.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red and Cover Images.