The Ultimate Personal Property Guessing Game

What tiara will the Queen select for Kate Middleton?  Will the Queen offer a sparkler from the family treasury (some pieces haven’t been seen in public in recent memory), or will they fashion a new diadem for the special day?  The British Press insist that the choice says something about the relationship between Kate and the Queen how Kate sees her role in the family.  Many rumors are swirling  There’s the spectacular "Oriental" tiara, made for Queen Victoria that contains 2,678 diamonds and takes its name from the Indian rubies set into it. Then there’s the beautiful diamond and silver "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" tiara, a wedding present for Princess Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary), bought with money raised by a committee by Lady Eve Greville.  My favorite is the old-timey Strathmore Rose:

For in-depth analysis (and lots of great pictures) of the contenders, see here and here.

Steve Clowney