Greatest crown jewels from past to present
Crown jewelsQueen Elizabeth II has one of the most extensive collections of tiaras in the world both for official engagements and personal use. She has been known to purchase or give a tiara to royal brides for their wedding days. Will she do so for her grandson’s bride? Take a look inside some of the royal tiaras past and present.
Imperial State CrownThe Imperial State Crown is the most famous of the British monarchy’s crowns. It is made up of many gemstones, including the diamond known as the Second Star of Africa, which is the second largest stone cut diamond in the world. The Queen wears the Imperial State Crown at the State Opening of Parliament at Westminster Abbey in 2002.
Festoon Diamond TiaraAutumn Kelly leaves the St George’s Chapel in Windsor by carriage after her marriage ceremony to the Queen’s eldest grandson, Peter Phillips. The bride wore the Festoon Diamond Tiara, which was on loan from her mother-in-law, the Princess Royal.
The Boucheron TiaraThe Boucheron Tiara was left to the Queen Mother by her friend the Honorable Mrs. Greville upon her death. The tiara was made by the French jeweler Boucheron in London in January 1921. The tiara was lent by Queen Elizabeth to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who wore the tiara to the Queen's Banquet for Commonwealth Heads of Government in November 2007 in Uganda.
Delhi Durbar TiaraCamilla, Duchess of Cornwall, wears a royal tiara for the first time in October 2005. This was just the third time the Delhi Durbar Tiara had been worn in public. The tiara was made in 1911 for Queen Mary, the Queen’s grandmother. The brilliant-cut diamonds are mounted in gold and set in platinum.
The Spencer Family Tiara
Princess Diana wears the Spencer Family Tiara at a banquet given by the President of India, Ramaswamy Venkataraman, during an official visit to the country in 1992. A family heirloom, she would wear it at many state occasions throughout her life
The Cambridge Lover’s Knot TiaraPrincess Diana wears the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara to a banquet in New Zealand in 1983. The Queen gave Diana the tiara as a wedding present. Queen Mary was the original owner of the tiara, made by Garrard in 1914, but it has been seen the world over being worn by Diana through the years. It was returned to the Queen after Diana’s death in 1997.
Papyrus TiaraElizabeth Angela Marguerite, the future Queen Mother, wears the Papyrus Tiara, also referred to as the lotus flower tiara. It was given to her daughter, Princess Margaret, who then loaned it to her new daughter-in-law, Serena Stanhope, for her wedding to Viscount Linley.
Fringe TiaraThis tiara, made of diamonds, gold and silver, was created for Queen Mary in 1919. It is made up of diamonds taken from a necklace/tiara purchased by Queen Victoria as a wedding present for Queen Mary in 1893. Princess Elizabeth borrowed the tiara from her mother for her wedding, as did Princess Anne. Here, Princess Elizabeth, wearing the Fringe Tiara, leaves Westminster Abbey after her wedding to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in November 1947.
Imperial State CrownThe Queen was crowned with the Imperial State Crown by the Archbishop of Canterbury during her coronation ceremony in June 1953. The new Queen waves to the crowd from the balcony at Buckingham Palace. Her children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne, stand alongside. According to the Royal Collection, it is made up of more than 3,000 gems.
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland TiaraThe Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, collected clothing coupons for her wedding dress, as Britain was still recovering from World War II. However, she was given this diamond and silver tiara by her grandmother on her wedding day when she married Prince Philip in Westminster Abbey in 1947.
Girls of Great Britain and Ireland TiaraQueen Elizabeth II wears the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara, which was given to her as a wedding present by Queen Mary in 1947. It was first given to Queen Mary as a gift for her wedding, with money raised by a committee - “Girls of Great Britain and Ireland.”
The Burmese Ruby TiaraThe Queen ordered the Burmese Ruby Tiara in 1973 from Garrard & Co. The tiara is in the form of a wreath of red roses. The center of each flower is made up of rubies and gold, while diamonds and silver form the petals.
Imperial State CrownThe newly crowned Queen poses with her husband, Prince Philip, at Buckingham Palace on her coronation day in June 1953. These days the Queen’s Imperial State Crown travels in its own carriage ahead of the Queen, who only puts the crown on for the state opening of Parliament each year.
The Kokoshnik TiaraThe Queen wears the Kokoshnik Tiara in Turkey on a State visit in 2008. The tiara was originally a gift for Queen Alexandra in 1888 for her silver wedding anniversary.
Brazilian Aquamarine TiaraThe Queen wears the Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara to a State banquet with President of Mexico Felipe Calderon at Buckingham Palace in 2009. The original necklace and earrings were a gift from the people of Brazil for her coronation in 1953. She later had the tiara made to match.
The Burmese Ruby TiaraThe rubies and diamonds in the Burmese Ruby Tiara came from the Queen’s private collection. She received the 96 rubies as a wedding present in 1947 from the Burmese people, after whom the tiara is named.
King George IV DiademThe Queen, wearing the King George IV Diadem, travels by carriage to Westminster Abbey to The State Opening of Parliament in 2008. This diadem has been seen in several commonwealth countries around the world - on coins and postage stamps bearing the Queen’s profile. It includes emblems from England, Scotland and Ireland. According the Royal Collection it is set with 1,333 diamonds.
Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara with Pearls The Queen wears the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara with pearls alongside Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, the wife of Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani during a State visit at Windsor Castle in 2010.
Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara with EmeraldsQueen Mary, grandmother to Queen Elizabeth, purchased this tiara in 1921 from the collection of the Grand Duchess Vladimir, aunt of Tsar Nicholas II, for whom the tiara was made. A note about the necklace: According to the Royal Collection, it was given to Queen Mary as a gift on her first visit to India as the British Queen Empress. It is made up of emeralds and later had added to it an 8.8 carat marquise diamond cut from the Cullinan Diamond.
Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara with EmeraldsThe 1880s creation is made up of 15 intertwined diamond-set ovals. Pendant emeralds hang from the ovals, but they can be interchanged with pearls. Queen Elizabeth II now owns the tiara her grandmother purchased about 90 years ago.
King George VI Victorian Sapphire TiaraQueen Elizabeth, wearing the King George VI Victorian Sapphire Suite, sits alongside then-President Bill Clinton at the Guildhall in June 1994 prior to attending a banquet for the 50th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The suite is made up of a tiara, earrings and necklace and although it has been altered through the years, it was originally a gift from the Queen’s father, King George VI in 1947.
The Crown JewelsKing George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Consort, make an appearance after their coronation ceremony with Queen Mary and the young princesses Elizabeth and Margaret on the Buckingham Palace balcony in 1937. The Queen Consort is wearing the coronation crown that includes the famous 106 carat Koh-i-Noor Diamond.
The Poltimore TiaraPrincess Margaret wore the Poltimore Tiara on her wedding day and parts were also worn as a necklace at various points throughout her life. It was later auctioned at Christie’s in 2006 for over 1.5 million dollars.
Diamond Tiara with an Oval AquamarinePrince Edward’s wife, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, wears a diamond tiara with an oval aquamarine at the Monaco Palace in Monte Carlo in 2005. She has also been seen wearing it as a necklace
Wessex Wedding TiaraThe Earl and Countess of Wessex attend the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling in Stockholm, Sweden, in June 2010. Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, wears the tiara she wore on her own wedding day.
The Spencer Family TiaraThe Princess of Wales wears the Spencer Family Tiara on her wedding day on July 29, 1981. The tiara is a circle of scrolling acanthus leaves and star flowers with diamonds.
Festoon Diamond TiaraThe Princess Anne wears the Festoon Diamond Tiara in 1973, which is said to have been a wedding gift. She later loaned this tiara to her son’s bride, Autumn Kelly, on her wedding day.
Brazilian Aquamarine TiaraThe Queen’s Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara was displayed at the “Dress for the Occasion” exhibition at Buckingham Palace in 2006. In the early 1970s the Queen’s tiara was altered to include jewels given to the Queen by the Governor of São Paulo 15 years after her coronation.
Royal Tiaras Up CloseThe Duchess of Teck Rose and Crescent Tiara, the Strathmore Rose Tiara and the Delhi Durbar Tiara rest on display. In 1998 the Queen loaned all three to be displayed for the first time for a charity event.
Strathmore Rose TiaraThe young Queen Mother as The Duchess of York wears the Strathmore Rose Tiara circa 1928. It was a wedding gift from her father, the Earl of Strathmore.
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