These 4 British Royal Tiaras Are Considered Unlucky or 'Cursed' — Here's Why

Several British royal tiaras are considered unlucky or "cursed"

NEED TO KNOW

• The Hesse Strawberry Leaf Tiara has become infamous for its association with tragic events in the lives of its wearers

• The Oriental Circlet Tiara — which has been worn by Kate Middleton — was redesigned to remove its opals, as they were thought to have brought bad fortune

Mostroyal tiarasare known for their eye-popping jewels, but some have gained an unlucky reputation over the years.

These headpieces have garnered negative attention due to patterns that have emerged among each wearer. For example, anyone who possesses the ill-famed Hesse Strawberry Leaf Tiara has seemingly experienced great misfortune afterwards.

Meanwhile, the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which is part of a crown worn by theQueen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, reportedly brings a "grisly" death to any man who attempts to wear it.

Here's everything to know about the British royal tiaras and crowns that have been considered unlucky throughout history.

The Hesse Strawberry Leaf Tiara

Of all of the British royal tiaras, the Hesse Strawberry Leaf Tiara is one of the most infamous.

This diadem, which is adorned with diamond foliage and strawberry leaves, was designed byPrince Albertin 1861, most likely as a wedding gift for hissecond daughterwith Queen Victoria, Princess Alice, perThe Royal Collection Trust.

Prince Albert never made it to the wedding, however: He died of typhoid fever on Dec. 14, 1861, perPBS. The tiara's giftee met a similarly tragic fate: Two of the four children Alice shared with husband Louis IV, the Grand Duke of Hesse, died young. Prince Frederich died at the age of 3 in 1873 after falling from a window, while Princess Marie died in 1878 of diphtheria. Princess Alice died from the same disease as her daughter at the age of 35 on Dec. 14, 1878 — the same day as her father died.

The tiara was passed down to her son Ernest, who lent it to his first wife, Grand Duchess Victoria Melita, for the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II, perTatler. The couple's only child died of typhoid and they soon divorced.

Ernest remarried Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich in 1905. In 1937, the pair's daughter-in-law, Princess Cecilie of Greece and Denmark wore the tiara to thecoronation of King George VIin 1937. Cecile went into premature labor on Nov. 16, 1937, while traveling to the wedding of her husband Georg's brother, forcing an early landing. The plane crashed, killing everyone onboard, including Eleonore, Georg, Cecilie and their two sons.

The Strawberry Leaf Tiara, which was found in the wreckage, is now housed at the Foundation of the House of Hesse, per theMirror.

Oriental Circlet Tiara

The sizableOriental Circle Tiara, which has been worn byKate Middleton, isn't exactly cursed, but it was redesigned due to superstition surrounding some of its jewels.

Crafted by Garrard in 1853, the piece is one of the oldest ever created for the royal family. Featuring lotus flowers and Mughal arches, the headpiece was originally designed with 2,600 diamonds and an array of opals — a reported favorite of Prince Albert, who commissioned the tiara for his wife, Queen Victoria.

Victoria's daughter-in-law, Queen Alexandra of Denmark, who inherited the tiara as the wife of King Edward VII, had the opals removed, as they had fallen out of favor due to a growing association between the gemstone and bad fortune. According toGarrard, Alexandra had the tiara recommissioned in 1902, replacing all of its opals with a collection of Burmese rubies that also belonged to her mother-in-law and removing several of its arches to make it smaller.

The Oriental Circle Tiara has since been passed down through the monarchy, as Queen Victoria stipulated in her will that theOriental Circlet would be worn by queens and future queens only.

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The Queen Mother remained in possession of the tiara untilher deathin 2002, when it was passed it down to her daughter,Queen Elizabeth.

It was last worn by Kate at Windsor Castle on Dec. 3, 2025.

The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara

TheGrand Duchess Vladimir Tiara, which started out with tragic origins, became a well-loved favorite of Queen Elizabeth.

Before it made its way into the British royal collection, the Bolin-made tiara belonged to its namesake, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna,the wife of the Russian Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich and the aunt of Tsar Nicholas II by marriage. She commissioned the diamond-and-pearl headpiece in celebration of her wedding.

It was not a harbinger of good fortune for the Grand Duchess, however. Upon Tsar Nicholas II's assassination in 1918, Marie fled from the Vladimir Palace, leaving the tiara behind. Marie's son and a British art dealer later disguised themselves as workers to recover the jewelry and later brought it to England.

Marie never saw the tiara again. Clinging to her imperial status in the face of the Russian Revolution, she remained the last Romanov in the country until she was forced to flee to France in 1920. She died that same year, and her daughter, Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, inherited the tiara, according to theCourt Jeweller.

Elena, who was married to the financially bereft Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, then sold the piece to the Queen Mother, who passed it down to Queen Elizabeth.

The Queen continued to wear the piece, which she had recommissioned to make the pearls interchangeable with emeralds or without jewels, throughout her reign. It was the last tiara she wore ahead ofher deathon Sept. 8, 2022.

The Koh-i-Noor Diamond

Queen Elizabeth's mother, the Queen Mother, also wore a reportedly cursed jewel, known as the Koh-i-Noor, or "mountain of light" diamond — and she donned it on her 1937coronation day.

The 105-carat rock was reportedly found on a bank of the holy Krishna River in southern India some 800 years ago before spending centuries hidden inside a golden statue at a Hindu temple, perNPR, before passing through the Persian, Afghan and Sikh and Mughal empires.

According to the outlet, any men who attempted to wear the diamond have been met with "grisly" deaths. However, royal women have had better luck with the piece: Queen Victoria acquired the diamond in 1849 as part of a treaty marking the end of the second Anglo-Sikh war, per NPR. Women — especially queen consorts — are thought to be able to wear the Koh-i-Noor safely.

Though she originally wore it as a brooch, it was made into a crown for her cousin, the Queen Mother, for her 1937 coronation. She wore the crown again for thecoronation of her daughterin 1953, and it was last seen atop her coffin in 2002, perSmithsonian.

According to NPR, the diamond was deliberately kept off ofQueen Camilla's coronation crown, as India, Iran and Afghanistan have all laid claim to the legendary stone. It's currently on display in the Tower of London as part of the British crown jewels.

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April 04, 2026

These 4 British Royal Tiaras Are Considered Unlucky or 'Cursed' — Here's Why

Several British royal tiaras are considered unlucky or "cursed" NEED TO KNOW The Hesse Strawberry Le...

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Robert Downey Jr. Is 61! See Him in Dad Mode in These Rare Photos with His 3 Kids Indio, Exton and Avri

Robert Downey Jr.is a proud father of three.

The actor shares son Exton, born in 2012, and daughter Avri, born in 2014, with hiswife of 20 years,Susan. He also raised his son Indio, born in 1993, with ex-wifeDeborah Falconer. Although Downey rarely shares photos of his children, he has stepped out with Indio at several premieres — most recently in 2022 — and he's vocal about his adoration for allthree kids, whether in acceptance speeches or interviews.

When he won theOscarforBest Supporting Actor, he concluded his speech by dedicating the award to his children: "Avri, Exton, Indio, this one's for you."

As he celebrates his 61st year around the sun on April 4, 2026, see his most adorable moments as a father with his three children.

Carry On

Downey Jr. gave his son Indio, then 8, a kiss on the cheek as he carried him during the Silver Lining Benefit for the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic.

Baby Blue

The father and son matched in dark blue at the premiere ofAustin Powers in Goldmemberin Universal City, California.

Fedorable!

Indio met his father'sKiss Kiss Bang BangcostarVal Kilmerat the afterparty of the movie's premiere in L.A.

Premiere Plus-One

The two attended the premieres of several films starring Downey, likeThe Shaggy Dogin Los Angeles...

Walk with Me

...and theZodiacpremiere in Hollywood, California.

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Summer Break

They color-coordinated in graphic tees at Hollywood and Fashion Unite for the Kidstock Music and Art Festival in Beverly Hills, California.

Out for a Ball Game

Outside of films, the father-son duo also enjoyed sports together, and they watched the Lakers take on the Utah Jazz during a playoff game in 2008.

All Grown Up

Fourteen years later, Indio made his first red carpet appearance as an adult when he accompanied his father to the premiere ofSrin Hollywood, California.

Family Tree

Exton appeared inSr, a tribute documentary chronicling the life of Downey's father, filmmaker Robert Downey Sr.

Going Bald

Avri and Exton helped their dad shave his head ahead of his role in HBO'sThe Sympathizer. The actor posted a rare video of his two youngest onInstagram, writing in the caption, "The things we do for our work… and our kids."

In the Zone

Clearly, Exton took his barbering duties very seriously.

Scorpio Season

Downey celebrated Susan's 52nd birthday and Avri's 12th birthday — which are two days apart — with arare photoof his daughter. "Scorpio girls rock," he declared in the caption.

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April 04, 2026

Robert Downey Jr. Is 61! See Him in Dad Mode in These Rare Photos with His 3 Kids Indio, Exton and Avri

Robert Downey Jr.is a proud father of three. The actor shares son Exton, born in 2012, and daughter Avri, born...

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This One Scene in “The Ten Commandments” Took 6 Months to Film

The Ten Commandments came out in 1956, and at the time, it was the most expensive film ever made

NEED TO KNOW

• Filming the Red Sea parting scene took six months and required 360,000 gallons of water and a 32-foot-high ramp on Paramount's lot

• In the end, it paid off, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1956, and it remains a classic 70 years later

The Ten Commandmentswas a cultural phenomenon when it came out in 1956 and remains a classic to this day.

When making the film, directorCecil B. DeMilleknew it was going to be an undertaking of biblical proportions — and that it was. The legendary filmmaker and studio dedicated a tremendous amount of time and resources to the project, which ultimately paid off in the end.

In fact, they spent months filming just one scene due to the technical and cinematic challenge it posed. According to theScience Museum Group,theparting of the Red Sea sequence"took 6 months to create, with scenes shot on the banks of the Red Sea and at the Paramount backlot."

The scene was a product of rear projection and optical photography, as there were no computer effects at the time.

The production team created the walls of water "using a tilted ramp approximately 32 feet high and 80 feet long," which resided on the Paramount Pictures lot. When it came to filming, they released large amounts of water down the walls from large tanks.

"The water was supplied by an elevated tank through 15 manually controlled hydraulically operated valves, allowing the 360,000 gallons of water to cascade down in a thin sheet," per the museum.

They built long wooden batons along the ramp, breaking the water into "choppy tides and undertow." They then reversed the film to give the impression of the water going up and "the sea parting."

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Filming the scene was saved for last because the chariots that were seen throughout the movie were destroyed during the flooding.

Charlton Heston,who played Moses,filmed his scenes in front of a blue screen so his takes could be combined with the other elements later. They also shot the desert landscape and added matte paintings to build an even larger environment while simultaneously covering up any seams between the different elements.

Each of these elements was then combined using optical printing, which meant they all had to be perfectly aligned or it would be visible to the audience. The result was the sequence viewed by so many, 70 years later.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE'sfree daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The biblical adventure drama film — produced, directed and narrated by DeMille — featured Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne De Carlo and Debra Paget.

The Ten Commandmentswas the most expensive film produced at that time. However, after the movie was released, it became the highest-grossing film of 1956 and the second most successful of the decade, bringing in $122.7 million, or what would be equivalent to nearly $1.5 billion today.

The Ten Commandmentswill air on ABC on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET.

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April 04, 2026

This One Scene in “The Ten Commandments” Took 6 Months to Film

The Ten Commandments came out in 1956 , and at the time, it was the most expensive film ever made NEED TO KNOW ...

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20 musicians who walked away at the top—and what they did instead

Many of us have stood in front of a mirror, hairbrush in hand, imagining what it might be like to perform for a crowd of adoring fans. To some, being a pop or rock star is the ultimate dream, something to muse about at your 9-5 job. It might seem strange, then, why so many successful musicians have traded in the music limelight and lifestyle for total privacy or pivoted their careers entirely.

20 successful musicians who retired early

Look a little closer at the brutality of the music industry, and you might find it easier to sympathize with the musicians who chose to leave it all behind. Some, like Pink Floyd frontman Syd Barrett, retired at their prime due to the pressures of the spotlight; others, like Phil Collins, who performed his last show with Genesis in March 2022, were forced to end their careers due toongoing health concerns.

Of course, retirement isn't always the last word. In February 2025, Paul Simon announced that he would bereuniting forlive concertswith a smaller, more intimate "Quiet Celebrations Tour," which began in April. Elton John, who said he would never tour again after his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour ended in July 2023,performed live at a benefit concertin May 2025. And then there are artists who remain strong after decades in the spotlight. In a 2015 interview, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger said he wasn'tthinking about retirement, and 10 years later, it looks like it still hasn't crossed his mind. In fact, the bandwon a Grammy Award for Best Rock Albumat the February 2025 ceremony, and they've got anew album coming out in 2026.

All that being said, plenty of successful musicians do hang up the towel and mean it. In May 2025, country legend Alan Jackson announced hisretirement from touringamid ongoing health issues. More recently, in September 2025, health problems forced rocker Dave Mason of the band Traffic to announce that he'dno longer be touringeither. Music takes its toll over the decades, and with that in mind, it's worth honoring and remembering the artists who truly walked away from it all.Stackerdove into music history to spotlight 20 musicians who retired early, fell in love with another line of work, or simply no longer wanted to play the game.

Each artist had to quit music entirely and change their career to qualify for this list. Artists and acts like Billy Joel, who has yet to release new albums but tours regularly, were excluded because music remains their primary career. Seeing as only a few artists who step away ever stay off the stage for good, occasional special appearances didn't disqualify musicians from making the list.

Neil Peart

Often considered one of the most virtuosic drummers in rock history, Neil Peart gave the prog-rock band Rush a distinctive and pummeling edge. Peart was also responsible for many of the band's highfalutin and philosophicallyrics. Rush played its last show together in 2015 before it was revealed in the band's documentary, "Time Stand Still," that Peart had been suffering immense pain and had to retire consequently.

Linda Ronstadt

In acareerthat spanned 40 years and was littered with a dozen platinum records and 10 Grammys, the singing finally came to an end in 2009, when Linda Ronstadt played her final show. In 2019, the documentary "Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice" told the story of why she left. Speaking directly to the camera, Ronstadt revealed she had Parkinson's disease, which sadly robbed her of her vocal ability.

Phil Collins

Phil Collins, Genesis' drummer and the hitmaker behind "In the Air Tonight," began experiencing health-related concerns in 2009 afterinjuringthe vertebrae in his upper neck. Following a 14-year live hiatus, he joined Genesis in the fall of 2022 for its last show. Despite his visible frailty, Collins sat center stage, joking that he'd need to find a "real job" after the band's dissolution.

In a February 2025 interview with MOJO, Collins gave asad updateon making music again. "I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens," he said. "But I'm not hungry for it anymore. The thing is, I've been sick, I mean very sick."

Alice Nutter

Alice Nutter, perhaps best known as the operatic singer on Chumbawamba's one-hit-wonder "Tubthumping," ultimately left her musical days behind her after a 23-yearcareerto pursue writing full-time. Now in her early 60s, Nutter writes for thestage and screen. Her most recent credit is the 2023TV adaptation of "The Full Monty,"which she co-created and co-wrote.

Captain Beefheart

Don Van Vliet, better known as Captain Beefheart, set a new template for avant-garde rock in the 1960s. By the decade's end, he had released the influential double LP "Trout Mask Replica," often considered his magnum opus. Following a slew of releases, Beefheart retired from music in 1982, disappearing from public life and into the Mojave Desert, where he spent the rest of his life painting and making visual art.

Jeff Mangum

After releasing1998's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea," one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the 1990s, Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum seemed to fall off the face of the Earth. Alongside the band, Mangum seemed content to depart from music and public life after only releasing two albums. In 2013, however, Neutral Milk Hotelreunited for a tourand spent two years on the road. It looked like the group might be back for good, but the pull of retirement must have been too strong for Mangum and his bandmates. In 2015, Neutral Milk Hotel announced that their spring shows would be "ourlast tour for the foreseeable future." Over ten years later, neither Mangum nor the group as a whole have performed again or released any new music.

Grace Slick

As lead vocalist of Jefferson Airplane, Grace Slick was one of the most prominent figures of the 1960s psychedelic rock movement. The band's1967album "Surrealistic Pillow" achieved great commercial success, making them one of the first Bay Area bands to receive worldwide recognition. Slick departed shortly after, revealing that herageled her to quit rock 'n' roll.

Bill Withers

A great many musicians threaten retirement throughout their careers. But rarely do any of them follow through on that promise. Unfortunately, that was the case with Bill Withers, the soul singer who produced many timeless hits during his short-lived career. Tired of touring and of his fraught relationship with his record company, Withers retired in the mid-'80s, and nothing seemed to lure him back into the limelight.

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Willa Ford

Willa Ford rose to fame at the start of the 2000s alongside Britney Spears and a boom of women pop stars. Ford's hit "I Wanna Be Bad" shot to the top of the charts in May 2001. But her follow-up singles didn't do quite so well. Ultimately, Ford traded in the microphone and stage for interior design. In 2012, she birthed her own firm,W Ford Interiors.

In June 2024, Ford said she would be releasing new music, and in October 2025, she finally dropped her new single "Burn Burn," marking her return to music after more than 20 years. Her new album, "amanda," was released in March 2026.

Kate Bush

Throughout Kate Bush's stretch from her 1978 debut "The Kick Inside" to 2011's "50 Words for Snow," the mystical singer only embarked onone tour. Following years of silence, Bush played a series of shows in London in 2014, singing songs from throughout her career. Bush, who has developed a reclusive reputation, reemerged briefly in 2022 with words ofgratitudewhen her 1985 track "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" became one of the biggest tracks of the year, thanks to its inclusion in the fourth season of "Stranger Things." Bush was also inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in 2023, though shedeclined to attend the ceremony.

Syd Barrett

Syd Barrett, the frontman and creative mastermind behind Pink Floyd, immediately seemed ill-equipped to deal with the fanfare of fame. Saddled with addiction, Barrett departed from Pink Floyd in1968and went on to live most of his life in relative seclusion. At 60, Barrett died of cancer, leaving behind a formidable legacy despite only a brief stint in the limelight.

John Deacon

John Deacon was a relative late-comer to Queen, joining the band in1971, just a year after frontman Freddie Mercury's enlistment. Responsible for hits like "Another One Bites the Dust," Deacon became integral to the band before his retirement in the early '90s, which came soon after Mercury's death in 1991.

Cindy Birdsong

Cindy Birdsong began her musical career as one part of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles before gaining greater notoriety in1967when she joined the Supremes. The trio achieved stratospheric success, but that didn't stop Birdsong from leaving the group (twice) in the1970s. Birdsong's dream had always been to become a nurse, which she did soon after retiring from music.

Russell Senior

The wry alternative rock band Pulp put Sheffield back on the musical map toward the end of the 1980s. Sharing the stage with frontman Jarvis Cocker, the band's violinist, Russell Senior, lent the band an eccentric edge. After13 yearsin the band, Senior left Pulp in 1997 and later embarked on a career as anantique dealer.

Jim Martin

Right after the heavy metal band Faith No More released its album "Angel Dust" to critical and commercial applause, Jim Martin, the band's guitarist, left the group just at the peak of its success. After 15 years of relative silence, Martin answered a series of fan questions for a U.K.-basedblogand explained that his departure was due to no longer aligning with the band's musical direction.

Jason Schwartzman

While you probably know him best as the indie actor in films like "Rushmore," Jason Schwartzman first earned his name as the drummer forPhantom Planet, the band behind the iconic theme song of "The O.C." He's also written music for the screen, including the theme for HBO's "Bored to Death," but with little musical output since. It may be safe to assume that Schwartzman has ultimately traded in music for acting.

Dave Rowntree

His music has beenplayedon both the Glastonbury main stage and on a spaceship to Mars, but Blur's drummer, Dave Rowntree, has taken a few career u-turns away from music since. In 2009, he trained as a solicitor. In 2010, he became a campaigner for the Labor party. Later, he explained that those decisions were basically "a mid-life crisis." Now, Rowntree works as a composer, and in September 2025, he published "No One You Know– Early Blur," a book of photos from Blur's earliest days.

Meg White

As one half of the White Stripes, the band she co-founded withthen-husband Jack White, Meg White saw tremendous success with breakthrough singles like "Seven Nation Army" and "Fell in Love With a Girl." But following a lengthy hiatus, the White Stripes officiallyconfirmed their splitin February 2011. While Jack has continued performing, dropping his most recentsolo albumin 2024, Meg stepped away from the spotlight completely. In June 2023, a writer for ELLE documented her attempts to secure aninterview with Meg, but she was only able to to communicate with Meg's friend. "She spent 15 years traveling and touring and playing," the friend said. "It's not that odd to think that she just likes to be home."

When the White Stripes were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November 2025, Megdid not appear at the ceremony, but Jack shared a message on her behalf. "I spoke with Meg White the other day, and she said that she's very sorry she couldn't make it here tonight, but she wanted me to tell you that she's very grateful," he said. "And to all of the folks who supported her in all the years, it really means a lot to her."

Henry Rollins

As a musician, Henry Rollins may be best known as frontman of the hardcore band Black Flag from 1981 until the group disbanded in 1986. Rollins continued on with the Rollins Band, and also as a spoken-word artist. Over the years, Rollins has become recognized as an activist and for his TV appearances, but he's stepped away from music. In a2016 interview, he said, "For me, music was a time and a place. I never really enjoyed being in a band. It was in me and it needed to come out, like a 25-year exorcism. One day, I woke up, and I didn't have any more lyrics." More recently, in October 2024, Rollins confirmed that he wasretired from music. "I'm smart enough to not come back for the encore," he shared.

Linn Berggren

All '90s kids remember Ace of Base hits like "All That She Wants" and "The Sign." The Swedish group, formed by siblings Jonas, Jenny, and Linn Berggrenn with Ulf Ekberg, has never disbanded, but theystopped performing togetherin the early 2000s. While most members went on to make music, Linn Berggren stepped away from the industry completely. In a 2015 ABC News catch-up with band members, Ekberg confirmed that Linn wouldnever return to Ace of Base. "She left the band and we promised her to never even ask to come back," he revealed. "She's done with [the] entertainment industry. It's understandable. It's brutal from the inside, it was not for her. She has no craving to be famous, she loved her fans, but the fame factor was not for her."

Kevin Moore

A former member of the band Dream Theater and the founder of the Chroma Key music project, Kevin Moore had an unconventional music career before leaving it behind. In a 2013interview with Fates Warning— a band whose albums Moore had collaborated on — vocalist Ray Alder said "good luck finding" Moore, before revealing that he was in his third year of medical school. Yes, Moore became a doctor. Since 2020, he's been apsychiatrist at Trinity Healthin Minot, North Dakota.

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April 03, 2026

20 musicians who walked away at the top—and what they did instead

Many of us have stood in front of a mirror, hairbrush in hand, imagining what it might be like to perform for a crowd of ...

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