Queen Elizabeth’s jewellery collection was so vast that it had to be stored in a room the size of an ice rink, located 40 feet beneath Buckingham Palace.
Tiaras were the highlight of her collection, varying from diamond-encrusted bands to headpieces decorated with precious stones.
They would be presented to her on a tray with a lace cover, hand-sewn by her grandmother Queen Mary and bearing her ‘M’ monogram. The tiara was always the final piece of jewellery she selected.
The late Queen mastered the art of securing these tiaras to her springy curls using a satin band or hairclip.
And she generously loaned several designs to members of her family, including Princess Diana, Princess Anne, Princess Margaret and Kate Middleton.
Since Elizabeth’s death in 2022, Kate and Queen Camilla have continued to dip into her tiara collection.
Queen Mary Fringe tiara
Queen Elizabeth II wore the Queen Mary Fringe tiara, comprising 47 graduated brilliant and rose-set tapering bars separated by 46 narrower spikes, on her wedding day in 1947
The Queen Mary Fringe tiara is the most-worn wedding tiara by Windsor brides.
Queen Elizabeth chose the gleaming design, comprising 47 graduated brilliant and rose-set tapering bars separated by 46 narrower spikes, for her wedding in 1947.
It had been given to the Queen Mother by her mother-in-law, Queen Mary.
Originally a diamond necklace, made by Collingwood, the accessory was Queen Mary’s wedding gift from Queen Victoria.
Mary wore the convertible jewel in various forms, including as a headpiece, before having it dismantled to create a new diamond fringe tiara.
Princess Anne chose the stunning Queen Mary Fringe tiara for her wedding to Captain Mark Phillips in 1973. Bride and groom are accompanied by Prince Edward and Lady Sarah Chatto. Princess Beatrice then wore the accessory for her wedding in 2020
In 1919, she asked Garrard to create a new design in the style of a kokoshnik (a russian headdress) with diamonds that could be removed to form a necklace.
Elizabeth’s daughter, Princess Anne, also selected the stunning piece for her wedding to Mark Phillips in 1973.
Princess Beatrice later borrowed the tiara for her private Windsor wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, during the Covid pandemic in 2020.
She paired it with her grandmother’s vintage Norman Hartnell dress, remodelled by Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin.
Belgian Sapphire tiara
In November 2022, just two months after the Queen Elizabeth’s death, Camilla wore her late mother-in-law’s Belgian sapphire tiara during a state banquet held for South Africa’s leader, Cyril Ramaphosa.
Camilla teamed the piece with her elegant Bruce Oldfield gown and completed the look with a diamond-trimmed pendant, containing a photograph of the former monarch.
Queen Camilla paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II by wearing her Belgian Sapphire Tiara to a state banquet
The Belgian sapphire tiara was acquired to complement a Victorian-era sapphire necklace and earrings that were gifted by Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, on her wedding day in 1947.
In 1963, Queen Elizabeth purchased a nineteenth-century sapphire necklace that once belonged to Princess Louise of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
As per her request, it was set on a frame and turned into a tiara.
Cartier halo tiara
The glittering Cartier halo tiara was an 18th birthday gift to Queen Elizabeth from her parents, although she never wore it publicly.
It dates back to 1936, when King George VI commissioned Cartier to create a tiara using the diamonds and platinum he had purchased for his wife three weeks before their wedding day.
After a few decades in the royal vault, the Queen loaned the tiara to Kate Middleton for her nuptials to Prince William in 2011.
The glittering Cartier Halo tiara served as Kate Middleton’s ‘something borrowed’ for her wedding to Prince William in 2011
The 739 brilliant cut diamonds and 149 baguette diamonds shimmered magnificently against Kate’s traditional ivory ensemble.
In her youth, Princess Anne frequently wore her mother’s tiara, including on a visit to New Zealand in 1970. Its understated design complemented the bouffant hairstyles that were fashionable at the time.
Princess Margaret also borrowed her older sister’s tiara on various occasions, notably for an official portrait by royal photographer Cecil Beaton in 1965.
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara
Camilla paid homage to the late Queen by wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara for a reception and dinner in October 2023.
The exquisite tiara dates back to 1893, when it was gifted to Mary of Teck, on the occasion of her marriage to Prince George, Duke of York, later King George V.
The headpiece is named after the committee of young women who raised money for its creation through a subscription.
It features festoon and fleur-de-lis motifs, comprising diamonds set in silver and gold. Originally, it also incorporated fourteen pearls.
Camilla (left) chose the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara for a reception and dinner in 2023
The piece can we worn as a tiara, coronet or necklace.
Queen Mary showcased the tiara on many occasions, including the coronation of her father-in-law, King Edward VII, in 1902.
Mary gifted her beloved tiara to her granddaughter, Elizabeth, when she married Prince Philip.
Elizabeth reportedly referred to the diadem as ‘Granny’s tiara’, and it become central to her wardrobe, both as a Princess and as a Queen.
Burmese ruby tiara
While the majority of tiaras worn by Queen Elizabeth were inherited from her relatives, there are a few pieces that she added to the collection.
In 1973, she asked Garrard to create a ruby tiara to round out her colourful collection.
Like many designs, the Burmese ruby tiara was created using stones from another headpiece that had been dismantled.
In this case, it was the Nizam of Hyderabad tiara, a diamond floral style that the Queen had received as a wedding gift from an Indian prince.
In 1973, Queen Elizabeth asked Garrard to create a ruby tiara to round out her colourful collection. Queen Consort Camilla made her first appearance in the tiara at the South Korean state banquet at Buckingham Palace in November 2023
Thought to reflect Elizabeth’s personal style, the result was a wreath of roses, each with a ruby centre, separated by rays of diamonds.
The rubies were set in gold and the diamonds in silver, intended to look like giant gems from afar.
Under the guidance of her dresser Angela Kelly, who believed that rubies should only be worn with white, the Queen memorably paired the headpiece with an ivory gown at a Silver Jubilee gala in 1977.
Queen Consort Camilla made her first appearance in the tiara at the South Korean state banquet, held at Buckingham Palace, in November 2023.
Diamond diadem
The diamond diadem has been passed down from monarch to monarch since George IV’s coronation in 1821, making it the oldest tiara in the royal vaults.
It is reserved for official events, such as the State Opening of Parliament.
Crafted by royal goldsmiths Rundell & Bridge, the diadem boasts four crosses alternating with bouquets, each symbolising a part of the United Kingdom: roses, thistles and shamrocks.
The striking design contains 1,333 diamonds – Queen Alexander removed 11 stones in 1902 when she had it resized, and the Queen Mother also made adjustments to fit her head.
Originally designed for a man, the diadem is likely the heaviest piece in the royal collection.
The Diamond Diadem has been passed down from monarch to monarch since George IV’s coronation in 1821, making it the oldest tiara in the royal vaults
Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau
Shortly before the wedding of Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2018, the Queen invited the couple to view a selection of tiaras.
Meghan was honoured to choose Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau, which Harry remembered as the one that ‘stood out’ to the couple.
‘It was beautiful, seemingly made for Meg,’ Prince Harry recalled in his memoir, Spare.
The dazzling piece features a diamond brooch that Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary, received as a wedding gift from the County of Lincoln in 1893.
When presented with a selection of tiaras, Meghan Markle chose Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau for her wedding to Prince Harry in May 2018
The brooch boasts a large collet-set diamond, surrounded by nine brilliant diamonds, with several smaller stones placed between these.
‘The gift was most graciously received and greatly admired by Her Serene Highness, who expressed her warm appreciation of the kind and loyal feeling which prompted the gift,’ The Chronicle wrote at the time.
Mary wore the brooch on several occasions before deciding to transform it into something more versatile.
In 1932, she commissioned Garrard to create a diamond and platinum bandeau-style tiara, placing the County of Lincoln brooch at its centre.
The eleven sections are pavé set with large and small brilliant diamonds in a geometric design.
Additionally, the cluster style of the brooch is mirrored in a smaller set of diamond clusters placed on either side of the tiara.
The brooch is detachable and Mary continued to wear it as a standalone jewel after the tiara had been completed.
Lover’s Knot tiara
Arguably the most famous of the royal tiaras, the Lover’s Knot has been worn by generations of royal women.
Queen Mary commissioned Garrard to create the exquisite tiara, drawing inspiration from a piece owned by her grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse.
Mary provided jewels from her own collection, which included elements from her dismantled Some Ladies of England tiara, pearls from the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, and pearls from her favourite brooches.
The finished design originally featured a row of upright pearls, but these were later removed by Mary, who returned them to her brooches.
Following her death, the tiara was inherited by Queen Elizabeth and she was frequently seen wearing the accessory at various locations worldwide, including a tour of the Commonwealth.
Upon marrying Prince Charles in July 1981, Diana received the tiara as a gift from the Queen and she debuted it at the state opening of parliament later that year.
Although the tiara reportedly gave Diana headaches due to its weight, she wore it on many occasions, notably with her ‘Elvis dress’ by Catherine Walker during an official visit to Hong Kong.
Similar to her late mother-in-law, the tiara has become one of Kate’s preferred pieces and she has worn it at several diplomatic receptions since.
Grand Duchess Vladimir tiara
The Grand Duchess Vladimir tiara perhaps holds the most intriguing story of all.
Made by Russian imperial court jeweller, Bolin, for Maria Pavlovna, wife of Grand Duke Vladimir of Russia, it was presented on her wedding day in 1874.
The diamond and pearl design could be worn in a variety of ways since the pearls were detachable, along with part of the structure.
When the Russian Revolution erupted in 1917, the family fled and the tiara was left behind.
But, after the assassination of Tsar Nicholas II and his family in 1918, the tiara was smuggled out of Russia by a British antiques dealer.
Queen Elizabeth wore the Vladimir tiara in various ways – with the pearls, the emeralds or neither – throughout her reign. Poignantly, it was the last diadem that Elizabeth was pictured wearing in public, during her final Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace in December 2019
It suffered on its journey and had to be rescued by Garrard, who polished it ‘as far as possible’ and replaced two missing diamonds for the princely sum of £26 15s.
Following Maria’s death in 1920, her daughter, Elena, sold the tiara to Queen Mary.
Mary commissioned Garrard to make several changes. In 1924, she introduced a third setting, a series of 15 cabochon drops from the Cambridge emerald collection.
However, she kept the original pearls so that both styles could be worn interchangeably.
Around the time of her marriage, the Russian imperial court jeweller, Bolin, made a diamond and pearl tiara for Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna
The stones are kept in numbered pouches to mark their position on the tiara and it takes an hour to change them.
Royal dresser Angela Kelly once said: ‘I always ensure that I take my time to do this quietly and without interruption, as you cannot afford to put the jewels in the wrong pouches.’
Queen Elizabeth, who inherited the tiara on her grandmother’s death in 1953, wore it in various ways – with the pearls, the emeralds or neither – throughout her reign.
Poignantly, the Vladimir tiara was the last diadem that Elizabeth was pictured wearing in public.
She teamed the emerald setting with the Greville emerald earrings and necklace for her final diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace in December 2019.
