For the British royals, jewelry is no mere adornment. From the stones to the settings, everything has significance–whether it's a historical reference or a political power play. Here, we take a closer look at the tiaras, earrings, rings, and neckpieces that make up the royal collection. After Queen Elizabeth's passing in September 2022, King Charles inherited most of her extensive jewelry collection, though plenty of pieces have been loaned out or gifted over the years.
The Queen Mary Fringe Tiara
Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne both wore The Queen Mary Fringe Tiara on their wedding days, and Her Majesty loaned the piece to her granddaughter, Princess Beatrice of York, for her intimate wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Many believe the tiara was selected due to both its sentimental significance and its all-diamond design, which complemented the bride's Norman Hartnell gown (which was also on loan from Queen Elizabeth). The look marks the first time a modern royal bride donned a tiara worn by another ancestral royal (let alone two) for her wedding day. According to Town & Country, given Beatrice and Edo's postponement of a larger-scale celebration due to the pandemic, Queen Elizabeth likely chose this piece with far greater symbolism in mind: to signify the royal family's history, as well as its solidarity, strength, and endurance.
The Cartier Halo Scroll Tiara
The tiara worn by the Duchess of Cambridge on her wedding day was on loan from Queen Elizabeth and was originally a wedding anniversary gift from King George VI to his wife Elizabeth (also known as the Queen Mother) in 1936. The Queen Mother then gifted it to Queen Elizabeth on her 18th birthday. It contains over 1,000 diamonds and was also worn occasionally by Princess Margaret.
The Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau Tiara
The showstopping bandeau tiara worn by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on her wedding day was made by Garrard in 1925 for Queen Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary. It originally had a sapphire centerpiece, but it has since been changed to a diamond. It was loaned to Meghan by the Queen for her wedding day. The tiara was also worn by the late Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister.
The Delhi Durbar Tiara
The Delhi Durbar tiara is one of three which were loaned from Queen Elizabeth to her daughter-in-law, now Queen Camilla. Made by Garrard, it was originally made for Queen Mary in 1911 for a celebration in Delhi to mark the coronation of King George V and Queen Mary as Emperor and Empress of India.
The Greville Tiara
The Greville tiara was made by Boucheron for Dame Margaret Helen Greville in 1920. It is also known as the Boucheron Honeycomb tiara, and is worn here by Queen Camilla. Greville left the tiara to the Queen Mother when she died in 1942, and upon the death of the Queen Mother in 2002, Queen Elizabeth inherited the headpiece. It is now one of three tiaras which were on long-term loan to Camilla, who married King Charles in 2005.
Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara
Also known as Queen Mary's Lover's Knot tiara, this diamond and pearl headpiece was commissioned by Queen Mary in 1913 when she had asked British jeweler Garrard to replicate a tiara owned by her grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse-Kassel. It was inherited by Queen Elizabeth, who gave it to Princess Diana when she married King Charles, but it was returned to Queen Elizabeth after the couple divorced in 1996. It was most recently owned by Queen Elizabeth and remained a favorite with the Duchess of Cambridge, who borrowed it for special occasions.
The York Tiara
The York tiara was worn by Sarah Ferguson when she married Prince Andrew in 1986, and was a wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. Made by Garrard, Fergie hid it under a flower crown for her journey to Westminster Abbey. She has since split from Andrew, but retains ownership of the tiara. Some suspected that Princess Eugenie would wear this tiara for her wedding day but the Princess instead wore the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara.
Princess Andrew's Meander Tiara
This tiara was a wedding gift to Queen Elizabeth from her mother-in-law, Princess Alice of Greece and Denmark. Queen Elizabeth gave it to her daughter Princess Anne in 1972, who wore the tiara in her engagement photos with Captain Mark Phillips. It was also worn by Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, on her wedding day in 2011
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara was the headpiece most frequently worn by Queen Elizabeth–it's even featured in her portrait on British currency. The tiara was a wedding gift from her grandmother, Queen Mary, and the first she owned herself. The tiara was originally a wedding gift for Mary when she married the Duke of York, who later became George V, in 1893. It was from the girls of Great Britain and Ireland, and commissioned by a committee lead by her friend, Lady Eve Greville.
The Cubitt-Shand Tiara
This tiara was worn by Laura Lopes, the daughter of Queen Camilla, for her wedding in 2006. Camilla also wore it for her first wedding to Andrew Parker-Bowles, and has been pictured in it as recently as 2015.
The Duchess of Cambridge's Engagement Ring
Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010 with the same engagement ring King Charles gave to the late Princess Diana, who apparently chose the ring herself. The centerpiece is a 12-carat oval sapphire with 14 solitaire diamonds set in a white gold band.
The Burmese Ruby Tiara
Queen Elizabeth had the Burmese Ruby tiara made by Garrard in 1973. It features 96 rubies that were gifted to her by Burma (now Myanmar) when she married the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947. The diamonds were also a wedding gift, from the Nizam of Hyderabad, the monarch of the Indian state of Hyderabad.
The Duchess of Sussex's Engagement Ring
Prince Harry had Meghan Markle's engagement ring made by Cleave & Company using an ethically-sourced center stone from Botswana, where he and Meghan first vacationed together. The center stone is flanked by two round diamonds from a brooch that belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana.
The Festoon Tiara
The Festoon tiara belongs to Princess Anne, who loaned it to her daughter-in-law, Autumn Phillips, for her wedding day. The tiara was originally gifted to Anne in 1973 by the World-Wide Shipping Group after she christened one of its ships.
The Spencer Tiara
Unlike other royal brides, Princess Diana wore a tiara from her own family's collection for her wedding to King Charles in 1981, rather than borrowing one from Queen Elizabeth. Made by Garrard in the 1930s, Diana went on to wear it on subsequent special occasions as well. It was most recently worn by Diana's niece, Celia McCorquadale, for her wedding earlier this year.
The Lotus Flower Tiara
The Lotus Flower tiara was made in the 1920s from a dismantled Garrard necklace that King George VI had given the Queen Mother. She gave it to Princess Margaret ahead of her wedding to the Earl of Snowdon in 1959. When Margaret died, it was inherited by Queen Elizabeth and today it is occasionally worn by the Duchess of Cambridge.
Queen Camilla's engagement ring
King Charles proposed to Queen Camilla with a diamond ring that was previously owned by his grandmother, the Queen Mother. It boasts a five-carat emerald-cut diamond in an Art Deco setting. It is believed to have been given to her after welcoming her first child, Queen Elizbeth.
The Poltimore Tiara
Princess Margaret wore the Poltimore tiara for her wedding in 1960. The Garrard-made creation dates back to 1870, but the royal purchased it from the Poltimore family herself at auction for around $7,200.
"Granny's Chips"
The two diamonds that make up this brooch, affectionately known to the royal family as "Granny's Chips," are stones cut from the gargantuan Cullinan diamond in 1905. Together they amount to 158 carats. Queen Elizabeth inherited the brooch from her grandmother and wore it for the church service to mark her Diamond Jubilee.
The George IV State Diadem
This extravagant creation was made in 1821 for the coronation of King George IV. It was eventually passed down through the generations to Queen Elizabeth who wore it en route to her coronation in 1953. Her Majesty also wore it for the State Opening of Parliament each year.
Tamara Abraham is a UK-based journalist and the former Managing Editor at Business of Fashion. She spent six years in New York where she launched and ran the fashion and lifestyle team at Dailymail.com. Now back in her native London, she writes on fashion, lifestyle and royals for publications including Grazia, the i Paper, and of course, BAZAAR.com.
Carrie Goldberg is meltsflow.com’s Weddings & Travel Director. She oversees the site’s BAZAAR Bride channel, travel & dining content, and styles fashion and bridal editorials for BAZAAR.com. When she’s not traveling, she spends her free time in her hometown–New York City–where there is no shortage of new places to shop, eat, drink, see and explore.
