A tiara (from Persian تاره tara adopted in Latin as 'tiara') is a form of crown. There are two possible types of crown that this word can refer to. Persian (Local names: فارسی Fârsi or پارسی Pârsi)* is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan as well as by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... A crown is a symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a god, for whom the crown is traditionally one of the symbols of power and legitimacy (See Regalia for a broader treatment). ...

Traditionally, the word "tiara" refers to a high crown, often with the shape of a cylinder narrowed at its top, made of fabric or leather, and richly ornamented. It was used by the kings and emperors of some ancient peoples in Mesopotamia. The Assyrians used to include a pair of bull horns as a decoration and symbol of authority and a circle of short feathers surrounding the tiara's top. The Persian tiara was more similar to a truncated cone, without the horns and feathers but more jewels, and a conic-shaped tip at its top. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Papal Tiara is a high cap surrounded by three crowns and bearing a globe surmounted by a cross worn by the Pope during certain ceremonies, being the symbol of his authority. Since Pope Paul VI, set aside his tiara after the Second Vatican Council, the Papal Tiara has not been worn. Pope Benedict XVI even removed the tiara from his Coat of Arms, replacing it with a mitre (but with some symbolic reference to the symbolism of the tiara, still in use in the Holy See's coat of arms). Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ... Mesopotamia refers to the region now occupied by modern Iraq, eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and Southwest Iran. ... For other uses, see Assyria (disambiguation). ... The Persian Empire was a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the old Persian homeland, and beyond in Western Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... The Papal Tiara, also known as the Triple Tiara, or in Latin as the Triregnum, and in Italian as the Triregno, is the three-tiered jewelled papal crown, supposedly of Byzantine and Persian origin, that is a symbol of the Roman Catholic papacy. ... The current Pope is Benedict XVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger), who was elected at the age of 78 on 19 April 2005. ... His Holiness Pope Paul VI (Latin: ), (Italian: Paolo VI), born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978. ... The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... This article is becoming very long. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... A mitre. ...

In modern times, however, a tiara is generally a semi-circular band, often metal-made and decorated with jewels, which is worn as a form of adornment and not as a symbol of rank. It is worn by women around their head or on the forehead as a circlet. They are frequently used to "crown" the winners of beauty pageants. In western countries, a bride often wears a tiara as part of her wedding outfit. Queen Mary in a Silver Jubilee photograph, wearing her crown, minus its aches, as a circlet. ... A beauty contest, or beauty pageant, is a competition between people, based largely, though not always entirely, on the beauty of their physical appearance. ...

Queen Elizabeth II is said to have the largest and most valuable collection of tiaras in the world and is often seen wearing them on state occasions. Her Majesty's personal collection of tiaras is considered to be priceless, in addition she received many of them through inheritance and gifts from foreign countries. For example, a diamond and aquamarine tiara she received was a present from the people of Brazil.[1] Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ...

In fiction, superheroine Wonder Woman is usually depicted wearing a tiara; hers can be thrown as a weapon, as can that worn by the magical girl character known as Sailor Moon, and also all Sailor Senshi wear tiaras. For the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode, see Super Hero (Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode). ... Wonder Woman is a fictional DC Comics superheroine co-created by William Moulton Marston and wife Elizabeth Holloway Marston. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Sailor Moon , officially translated as Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon) is the title of a famous media franchise created by Japanese manga artist Naoko Takeuchi. ... The Sailor Team and Chibichibi. ...

See also

• Diadem