The lasso. The cape. The gauntlets. Wonder Woman’s costume is an unmistakable part of her enduring appeal. Adorning it all is a bold, distinctive tiara that, upon close inspection, bears a striking resemblance to one that belonged in real life to Charlotte, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, who reigned as monarch of the small country between 1919 and 1964.
Gal Gadot aside, the most prominent version of Wonder Woman etched in our collective cultural memory—the one from the classic comic strips and the TV series starring Lynda Carter—features her pointed tiara with a central red star. According to some experts in royal jewelry, Wonder Woman creators William Moulton Marston and Harry G. Peter may have been inspired by the tiara of the Grand Duchess, who was known for taking a firm stance against the Nazis during World War II.
There is no historical source that puts the similarity between the two diadems in writing. Is the tiara worn by Wonder Woman inspired by that of Grand Duchess Charlotte? We believe it—not only is the resemblance plain to see, but the dates and facts line up to make a strong case.
The Chaumet Tiara, With Diamonds and a Central Emerald
Let’s start with the historical tiara and the real woman who wore it wondrously. The owner of this famous jewel—still worn today by the women of the Luxembourg royal family —did not seem destined to become a grand duchess. Born on January 23, 1896, Charlotte was the second child of William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal. Her father, who became Grand Duke in 1905, died in 1912. At that time, his eldest daughter, Maria Adelaide, ascended to the throne—a succession made possible by the abolition of the Salic Law, which had restricted the line of succession to males only.
Maria Adelaide of Luxembourg, however, was not cut out for that role. She suffered greatly from internal political conflicts, compounded by the occupation of Luxembourg by German troops in August 1914—which resulted in the violation of the country’s neutrality and the threat of annexation to Belgium. Considered too lenient toward the Germans, Marie-Adelaide abdicated in January 1919 in favor of her sister, Charlotte. In November of that same year, the new Grand Duchess took a husband, Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma. It was the prince consort himself who commissioned Chaumet to create the tiara, which was reportedly intended as a Christmas gift for his wife in 1926.
Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma sent a set of antique jewels from the grand ducal family to the Parisian jewelry house. Among them was a striking 45-carat pear-shaped cabochon emerald. It had been a gift from Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria in 1859 to the House of Nassau-Weilburg, which would later rule Luxembourg. The result was an Art Deco masterpiece of jewelry, featuring a platinum setting studded with diamonds and the emerald taking centerstage thanks to the tiara’s pointed shape.
The tiara immediately became a favorite of Charlotte’s, who loved to wear it sloping down over her forehead like a headband—so much so that it became a rather recognizable element of her style (contemporary royals, on the other hand, wear it as if it were a small crown). During those years, the Grand Duchess’s reputation solidified; as one of the very few women on the throne, she worked to modernize the country, which had gained independence a century earlier. In 1940, Hitler invaded Luxembourg, but the Grand Duchess refused to submit to the führer and left the capital. This strategic move undermined the Nazis’ ability to use the monarchy to legitimize their occupation.
Though physically far away, her heart remained with her people; from London, Charlotte of Luxembourg broadcast messages to her people via the BBC, fueling their hope of regaining their freedom soon. In the United States, where she arrived with her family in 1940, she became extremely popular thanks to her close friendship with President Franklin D. Roosevelt and first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, a great supporter of the Luxembourg cause. Her dedication impressed the American press so much that in 1943, a US postage stamp featuring the Luxembourg flag was issued.
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The capital of Luxembourg was liberated on September 10, 1944, but Grand Duchess Charlotte was able to return home a few months later, on April 14, 1945. She received a triumphant welcome; the small country was free, as had been hoped, thanks in part to her efforts. The Grand Duchy was safe and stronger than before: Charlotte had become a symbol not only of Luxembourg but has gone down in history as the voice of resistance to the Nazi occupation from abroad.
Wonder Woman’s Tiara
We don’t know for sure if William Moulton Marston (also known by the pseudonym Charles Moulton) and Harry George Peter were influenced by Grand Duchess Charlotte, but the historical context speaks for itself. Wonder Woman first appeared in December 1941 in an All-Star Comics volume published by DC Comics. Conceived as the female counterpart to Superman and Batman, the heroine is an Amazon who fights against injustice and the forces of evil, driven by an ideal of equality and peace. A princess by birth, it only makes sense that she also wears a tiara.
Marston was a feminist; he believed that women of the time needed role models to look up to in order to advance the fight for women’s rights. Just like Captain America, Wonder Woman, too, was engaged in the fight against the Nazis. The stars-and-stripes icon wore accessories that she could use as weapons when necessary, including her star-adorned tiara.
However, rather than the courageous grand duchesses who fought for the freedom of their people far away, the author was fascinated by the suffragette movement of the 1910s. In The Secret History of Wonder Woman, Jill Lepore, the historian and New Yorker staff writer, reports that when Peter sketched the character of Wonder Woman, he apparently drew inspiration from a famous series of photographs of a suffrage parade held in Washington in 1913. In one photograph in particular, attorney Inez Milholland Boissevain led the procession astride a white horse. What was she wearing? A cape and—surprise—a pointed tiara very similar to the one worn by Wonder Woman.
The idea that Grand Duchess Charlotte was William Moulton Marston’s muse is an alluring one, but it may remain yet another mystery tied to a piece of dazzling royal jewelry. Legends like this one only serve to enhance the value of certain masterpieces crafted from diamonds and precious stones. In any case, the Chaumet tiara of Luxembourg has a story—whether true or imagined, it doesn’t matter—that appeals to pop culture. Was it the inspiration for the tiara immortalized by the most famous superhero? The question is, itself, another piece of royal treasure.
Originally published by Vanity Fair Italy
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