When Queen Rania married her husband, Jordan's King Abdullah II, in 1993, she broke tradition. She chose not to wear a tiara. It was a subtle shift, but one that spoke volumes about the young bride.
When the pair wed on June 10, 1993, Rania Al-Yassin, then 22, wore a gown designed by British designer Bruce Oldfield, a favourite of Princess Diana of the UK.
Inspired by the formal Syrian court dresses being displayed at London's Victoria & Albert Museum, Oldfield sketched a simple fully-skirted gown with a separate collared bolero jacket, embellished with traditional motifs picked out in gold thread. Embroidery sat on the collar of the jacket — framing the bride's face — and continued around the sleeve hems, on to the waterfall detailing cascading down the front of the gown, and around the hem of the dress. Even the pointed shoes were embroidered to match.
Her hair was in a chic up-do, wrapped with a matching embellished band to hold the veil, and the outfit was finished with matching gloves.
Despite her elegant and regal look, Rania did not wear a tiara. While this small gesture may seem insignificant, it was in fact a powerful statement about her values, and her hopes for the new life that lay ahead.
Born to Palestinian parents in Kuwait, Rania did not come from a titled family, nor did she have a legacy of family heirloom jewellery. Tradition dictates a royal bride must wear jewels from her own family at her wedding, then switch to pieces from the royal collection after she is married. In many cases, of course, the ruling monarch can choose to loan the bride jewellery to wear. This happened when Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in the UK, with Queen Elizabeth II loaning her Queen Mary's bandeau tiara.
Given that Rania was marrying the oldest child of King Hussein and his second wife, Princess Muna, she presumably would have been offered a tiara and jewellery to wear for the ceremony. We don't know the details of these discussions, but we do know Queen Rania did not commission her own tiara until 2003, four years after being crowned.
Since then, Queen Rania has become known, alongside her husband, as a strong voice for social and religious tolerance, working hard to spread a message of equality and share his message of compassion.
Widely adored and respected, Queen Rania's appeal is boosted by her upbringing, but she's also become globally renowned for her keen sense of style, something the world noted that day she got married.
She may have wed into royalty, but by opting not to wear a priceless tiara, she showed the world she would never forget where she came from.
As the world waits for the wedding days of Queen Rania's daughter Princess Iman, and soon-to-be daughter-in-law Rajwa Al Saif, one wonders how they might make a statement with their looks.
See Queen Rania of Jordan's style evolve in 64 pictures
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Queen Rania, wearing a dress by British designer Bruce Oldfield, on her wedding day to King Abdullah II at the Royal Palace in Amman, Jordan on June 10, 1993. AFP -
Queen Rania, with Senator Jesse Helms in Washington DC on June 7, 2000, wears a simple black suit with a blue blouse, a style format she stuck to in the early 2000s. Getty Images -
Queen Rania of Jordan, pictured in Amman in November 2000, sports a beige two-piece with a contrasting teal shirt. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, pictured with a newborn Princess Salma as well as Princess Iman and Crown Prince Hussein, wears a maroon turtleneck in November 2000. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, pictured in Amman on December 17, 2000, has long highlighted traditional Jordanian craftsmanship through her wardrobe choices. Getty Images -
The royal experimented with a fringe and layered haircut in April, 2001. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, here photographed on June 6, 2001, was an early proponent of the power suit. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, pictured in Rome on October 12, 2001, also dabbled with lighter locks in the past. Getty Images -
For a visit to London in November 2001, Queen Rania, pictured with Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, chose elegant navy separates, for a finish that still looks contemporary. Getty Images -
While in London in November 2001, the royal, pictured with Cherie Blair, began to show her appreciation for architectural cuts. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, photographed with artist Hind Nasser on November 29, 2001, made a lesser-seen dabble with pastel tones in this co-ordinating lavender suit. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, pictured arriving at King Abdullah's birthday party on January 29, 2002, wears a dramatic full-length coat over a classic shirt-and-trousers combo. Getty Images -
The royal, pictured on June 10, 2002 in Amman, didn't escape the sunglasses trends and the pinstriped blazers of the early 2000s. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, pictured with Baroness Symons and Maria Shammas on June 17, 2002, has long favourite monochrome ensembles with clean lines, as per this asymmetric coat and trousers look. Getty Images -
The royal wears peachy chiffon embellished with sequins for a gala dinner in France on September 30, 2002. Getty Images -
Queen Rania wears a bolero jacket over a velvet evening gown at Bellevue Palace in October 22, 2002 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images -
Queen Rania first started embracing the pussybow blouse, a style she still favours to this day, in October 2002 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images -
The royal looked to a Rennaissance-worthy velvet gown on December 2, 2002 in Versailles, France. Getty Images -
The royal, pictured with Queen Sofia of Spain on September 30, 2003, wears knee-high boots with a chic sleeveless dress. Getty Images -
Queen Rania champions the skirt suit on March 8, 2004 in Beirut. Getty Images -
Queen Rania looks red carpet ready in cream satin for a gala dinner at El Pardo Royal Palace on May 21, 2004 in Madrid, Spain. Getty Images -
For the wedding of Spanish Crown Prince Felipe de Bourbon and former journalist Letizia Ortiz on May 22, 2004, Queen Rania donned a simple white shirt, dressed up by a lilac and lace maxi. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, while visiting British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie, dressed for the UK's wintry climes in a knitted tunic layered over trousers on November 6, 2006. Getty Images -
Queen Rania dresses up an emerald gown with a sleek black stole at the Foreign Press Association Awards on November 23, 2004 in London. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, then pregnant with Prince Hashem, wears a textured coat on November 29, 2004 in Amman. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, pictured with Renee Zellweger, wears a long navy dress on June 11, 2006 for an event on the Jordanian shore of the Dead Sea. Getty Images -
The royal, pictured in Cape Town on April 3, 2006, dressed up a simple shirt with layered necklaces. Getty Images -
Queen Rania wrapped. atrench coat over a printed tea dress at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst, UK, on August 11, 2006. Getty Images -
Queen Rania experimented with velvet for daywear in this blazer on October 30, 2006 in The Hague, Netherlands. Getty Images -
This royal blue gown was offset by a woven belt on October 31, 2006 in Scheveningen, Netherlands. Getty Images -
Queen Rania donned a classic LBD for a Unesco Goodwill Ambassadors meeting on April 3, 2007 in Paris, France. Getty Images -
Queen Rania demonstrates why she reigns at tailored separates on October 31, 2007, in Amman. Getty Images -
Queen Rania is the picture of elegance in pale dove grey Elie Saab at the Bambi Awards on November 29, 2007 in Germany. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, pictured with Queen Sofia of Spain on October 18, 2008, dips a toe into the then-emerging lace trend. Getty Images -
Queen Rania keeps it elegant in a tonal autumnal look on October 18, 2008 in Madrid, Spain. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, pictured with King Constantin of Greece, wore an artfully draped purple gown to the wedding banquet for Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden on June 19, 2010 in Stockholm, Sweden. Getty Images -
Queen Rania turns to a scalloped coral silk dress on October 30, 2008 in Paris, France. Getty Images -
Queen Rania amps up the drama with an oversized applique bloom at Windsor Castle on May 18, 2012 in London. Getty Images -
The royal steps out in a blue dress with flattering white panels while with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall on March 12, 2013, in Amman. Getty Images -
Queen Rania embraces a fringe of feathers with this long-sleeved top and draped skirt at the Women in the World summit on October 8, 2015 in London, England. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, pictured with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and German politician Christian Lindner on September 17, 2015 , wears a belted skirt with a subtly embellished blouse. Getty Images -
The royal, pictured with Queen Letizia of Spain, wrapped up in a fashion-forward tweed jacket to arrive in Madrid on November 19, 2015. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, photographed with Queen Letizia of Spain on November 20, 2015, has long championed the midi skirt, but this pleated black and white number might be her best one yet. Getty Images -
Queen Rania debuted a cutaway coat layered over a hot-pink pencil dress on January 8, 2016 in London. Getty Images -
Queen Rania looks regal in a flowing teal gown, and complementing golden headband, at the Royal Hashemite Court on June 2, 2016. Getty Images -
Queen Rania, with Crown Prince Hussein, embraces Hama Fashion's traditional prints in a modern silhouette for Jordan's 70th Independence Day on May 25, 2016. Getty Images -
Queen Rania made a rare appearance in eclectic Valentino prints at the Ein Herz Fuer Kinder Gala on December 3, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. Getty Images -
Queen Rania wrapped up in a statement red Givenchy coat and matching heels at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst on August 11, 2017 in Camberley, England. Getty Images -
The royal kept it simple yet super contemporary in a white Givenchy shirt dress at Fashion for Relief on May 21, 2017 in Cannes, France. Getty Images -
Queen Rania wears an embellished pencil skirt with a light knit on November 30, 2017 in Oxfordshire, England. Getty Images -
Queen Rania wore a dusky blue, high-necked dress for Princess Salma's graduation ceremony on May 22, 2018. Getty Images -
Queen Rania turned to a fuchsia midi and heels by Amina Muaddi for a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II and King Abdullah II on January 1, 2019. Getty Images -
The royal wears relaxed trousers and a loose scarlet Antonio Berardi jacket to tour the Jabal Al-Luweibdeh neighbourhood on April 17, 2019, in Amman. Getty Images -
Queen Rania wore relaxed, safari-inspired Michael Kors suiting for a visit to Al-Maghtas in Jordan, where Jesus is believed by Christians to have been baptised, in March 2020. AFP -
Queen Rania, pictured with Queen Sonia and King Harald V of Norway in Amman, on March 2, 2020, chose a clean yet ultra modern Izeta coat for the royals' visit to Jordan. EPA. -
Queen Rania, in Michael Kors, visits the baptism site of Al-Maghtas, the baptism site of Jesus Christ, on March 3, 2020. AFP -
Queen Rania, wearing pink Calvin Klein, during a visit to one of the projects of the Productive Youth Initiative in Amman, Jordan on March 30, 2021. AFP -
Queen Rania, in a red dress by Lebanese label Bazaza, at the White House in Washington, US, on July 19, 2021. Photo: Balkis Press -
Queen Rania, in a pale green blouse and wool trousers by Chloe, meets Pfizer chief executives in Washington DC with King Abdullah II, on Tuesday, July 20. Photo: Balkis Press -
Queen Rania, in white Roksanda, arrives to meet Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi at the Capitol in Washington on July 22, 2021. Photo: Balkis Press -
Queen Rania, in a white V-neck Dior midi coat, with a gold Dior belt and Louis Vuitton handbag, visits the Queen Rania Family and Child Centre with Britain's Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in Amman, Jordan on November 16, 2021. Reuters -
Queen Rania wears a cream and gold abaya for a private dinner at the Al Husseiniya Palace, in Amman, Jordan on November 16, 2021. Reuters -
Queen Rania, in a red wool-crepe midi skirt by Emilia Wickstead paired with a white shirt, at the ceremony for the Zayed Award For Human Fraternity on February 26, 2022, at The Founder's Memorial in Abu Dhabi. Photo: Hamad Al Kaabi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs -
Queen Rania, in a pleated black chiffon dress with a red waist belt, receives the Path to Peace Award in New York along with her husband, on May 9, 2022. AFP
