Meghan's choice: Will a royal tiara grace the big day?

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, a  late Victorian floral motif tiara circa 1885 is displayed at Bradley & Skinner an antique & period jewellery specialist in London. Will she or won’t she _ wear a tiara? Meghan Markle will have access to one of the world’s most remarkable jewelry collections for her wedding to Prince Harry. Queen Elizabeth II, Harry’s grandmother, has hundreds of jeweled tiaras sparkling away in locked vaults covered with diamonds _ to say nothing of rubies, sapphires and emeralds. London jewelers are hoping Markle will bring tiaras back in fashion when she walks down the aisle May 19 at Windsor Castle. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, a late Victorian floral motif tiara circa 1885 is displayed at Bradley & Skinner an antique & period jewellery specialist in London. Will she or won’t she _ wear a tiara? Meghan Markle will have access to one of the world’s most remarkable jewelry collections for her wedding to Prince Harry. Queen Elizabeth II, Harry’s grandmother, has hundreds of jeweled tiaras sparkling away in locked vaults covered with diamonds _ to say nothing of rubies, sapphires and emeralds. London jewelers are hoping Markle will bring tiaras back in fashion when she walks down the aisle May 19 at Windsor Castle. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

LONDON (AP) - Meghan Markle hasn't said if she will wear a tiara at her upcoming royal wedding, but if she does she'll be able to choose from one of the world's most remarkable jewelry collections.

That's because Queen Elizabeth II, the grandmother of her husband-to-be Prince Harry, has hundreds of tiaras squirreled away in locked vaults, and royal tradition holds that the queen will let Markle borrow one of these sparkly heirlooms.

There's no shortage of diamonds in the queen's collection, to say nothing of rubies, sapphires and emeralds. One tiara is designed so that its emeralds can be replaced by pearls - depending on the rest of the outfit, of course.

The bride's actual choice probably won't be known until May 19 when she walks down the aisle of St. George's Chapel to marry Harry and officially join the royal family. But some of London's most exclusive jewelers are devoutly hoping she won't turn her back on tiaras in favor of a more egalitarian look.

Markle, a 36-year-old American actress, is known for her contemporary fashion sense and could surprise everyone by skipping the tiara in favor of a less stately, more accessible look. But Omar Vaja, sales director at the renowned Bentley & Skinner jewelry shop in London, thinks she will follow tradition.

"Her style of dress is quite modern and casual," Vaja said. "So she'll probably go for something that's small and modest. There's quite a lot to choose from. I think we're talking about hundreds of tiaras."

He said tiaras often have been kept in aristocratic families for generations, passed down to wear on special occasions.

Vaja and other jewelers in London's tony Mayfair district have a vested interest in seeing Markle carry forward the tiara tradition. He expects this royal wedding - like earlier ones - to spur interest in tiaras and other vintage treasures that his shop is known for.

Tiaras could use a boost.

They were the height of fashion in the 1920s and 1930s, when affluent British women would often wear them to royal galas or fancy banquets, but British society changed drastically after the destruction wrought by World War II.

The '50s in Britain was a time of rationing and scarcity, not the best time for opulent displays of jewelry worth more than a small house.

The Queen Mother - wearing a rather splendid tiara - took the gibe with a smile, but the point was made. Royal-style accessories like diamond-encrusted tiaras fell out of favor in the swinging '60s.

Harry's mother, Princess Diana, helped revive the tiara glamor. Reflecting her own aristocratic roots, she wore her family's own tiara - known as the Spencer tiara, as she came from the Spencer clan - when she married Prince Charles in 1981.