Queen Elizabeth II kept her jewelry collection in a secure vault 40 feet below Buckingham Palace, including her cherished tiaras.
The significance behind her favorite pieces is the stuff of legends. Her selection included pieces from royal family matriarchs, from the Queen Mother to Queen Mary. Kate Middleton, Princess Diana, Princess Anne, and several other royal family members have worn her tiaras.
Elizabeth Wore The Queen Mary Fringe Tiara On Her Wedding Day
The Queen Mary Fringe tiara was given to the Queen Mother by her mother-in-law, Queen Mary. It consists of rows of stunning diamonds and could be converted from a necklace to a tiara. The headpiece was given to Queen Mary by Queen Victoria as a wedding gift when she married King George V in 1893.
On the day of Queen Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Phillip, she wore this regal crown. While preparing for the ceremony, her tiara broke into two pieces. Her mother tried to offer her another from her collection, but she insisted on wearing it.
Fortunately, the royal jewelry house Garrard brought the tiara to their workshop, and they miraculously fixed it—crisis averted. Princess Anne also wore the headpiece for her wedding to Mark Phillips in 1973.
The Cartier halo tiara was an 18th birthday gift from Elizabeth’s parents. King George V purchased it for his wife in 1936.
The tiara is filled with sparkling diamonds featured in an arrangement of scrolls. It was made from platinum. The Queen loaned it to Kate Middleton on her wedding day to Prince William in 2011.
The Lover’s Knot tiara is potentially the most famous royal tiara. In 1913, Queen Mary decided that she wanted Garrard to make a copy of this tiara, as her aunt, the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg Strelitz, wore the original.
Mary had them use jewels from her personal collection. The design was initially adorned with pearls but later replaced with diamonds.
Princess Diana Famously Wore The Lover’s Knot Tiara
Princess Diana was gifted the tiara when she married Prince Charles. She wore it for the opening of the British Parliament in 1981. Kate Middleton also likes the piece, and she has worn it several times.
The Grand Duchess Vladimir tiara is a gorgeous piece of dovetailed diamond circles artfully set in silver and gold with dangling, pear-shaped pearls. It was created by a Russian court jeweler for Maria Pavlovna, the wife of the Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia, for her wedding day in 1874.
After Maria passed away, her daughter, Elena, sold the elegant tiara to Queen Mary. She had the tiara repaired after it had made a long journey from Russia to England.
Mary utilized the Cambridge emeralds and other gems that belonged to her mother’s family. Upon her grandmother’s death in 1953, Elizabeth inherited the tiara. She had it altered several times. The Vladamir tiara was the last one she was pictured wearing in public.
Queen Elizabeth’s jewelry collection is iconic, breathtaking, and celebrated. These few tiaras are just the tip of the iceberg. Each tiara tells a story and represents a unique piece of history that has been passed down through generations in the royal family.
