The late Queen Elizabeth II was known for her spectacular collection of jewellery, spanning tiaras, crowns, brooches to necklaces. Items she wore during her lifetime are still regularly modelled today by members of the Royal Family, including the Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla
24 July 2023
By Maria Jakobsen
The late Queen Elizabeth II showcased an extraordinary treasure trove of jewels over her 70-year reign. Her collection has been growing for over 400 years, with each piece passed down over multiple generations through various branches of the British Royal Family.
Here, we examine some of her most prized baubles and the royals who inherited them, from Queen Camilla to Princess Kate and Meghan Markle.
Does Kate Middleton wear the Queen’s jewellery?
Princess Kate, who is known for wearing the late Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring, has borrowed many pieces of jewellery from the late Queen, including a maple leaf-shaped diamond brooch worn on her first Commonwealth trip in 2011.
After the Queen’s passing in September 2022, British female royals have honoured the late Queen by donning jewels inherited from her personal collection. While many of Queen Elizabeth’s most prized possessions have been handed down to King Charles III and the Queen Consort, other members of the royal family have been photographed wearing historic pieces from her collection.
For the Queen’s state funeral, the Princess of Wales wore a four-strand pearl choker with a diamond clasp alongside a set of Bahrain pearl drop earrings, both part of the late monarch’s personal haul. The necklace, which features four strings of ‘the finest cultured pearls’ with a central diamond clasp by court jewellerGarrard, was gifted to Queen Elizabeth during her first state visit to Japan in 1975, and was recently worn by Kate to King Charles III’s Scottish coronation.
When visiting the Commonwealth troops ahead of the Queen’s state funeral, Kate was spotted wearing Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubiliee diamond and pearl earrings, which marked the Queen’s 25 years on the throne in 1977. Kate had previously worn the earrings after the birth of Prince Louis in 2018.
Earlier this year, Kate was seen wearing another inherited piece – Queen Elizabeth II’s Festoon necklace. The necklace, which was commissioned by King George VI, includes 105 loose diamonds, and was worn multiple times by the late monarch throughout her life. Kate wore the piece for King Charles III’s official Coronation portrait, paying homage to the late Queen who often wore the necklace for official photographs.
Does Queen Camilla have any of Queen Elizabeth’s jewellery?
Queen Camilla has also borrowed jewellery from the late Queen’s collection numerous times, including a Hesse Diamond Jubilee brooch, which was gifted to Queen Victoria in 1897, and which the Queen Consort began to wear shortly after her wedding to King Charles in 2005.
Speaking of King Charles, during his coronation, Camilla wore Queen Victoria’s Coronation necklace, one of the most expensive necklaces in the world, and a set of diamond pendant earrings, known subsequently as the Coronation earrings. The necklace features the 22.48-carat Lahore Diamond, a controversial diamond acquired from the Kings of the Punjab in 1849 when the Punjab was absorbed into the Indian Raj, and the diamond presented to Queen Victoria in 1851.
Earlier this year, the Queen Consort sported a sparkling shell-shaped brooch for the first day of this year’s Royal Ascot. The Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell brooch has previously been worn by Queen Elizabeth II and the late Queen’s Mother and features pavé-set diamonds, with a single pearl at the centre.
Does Princess Anne wear Queen Elizabeth’s pearl necklace?
Princess Anne inherited her mother’s favourite piece of jewellery – her iconic three-strand pearl necklace. The necklace holds special significance to the princess and the late monarch as it was a gift to Her Majesty from her father King George VI. King George VI passed when Princess Anne was just one-and-a-half years old, so the family jewel serves as a way for the princess to connect with both her late mother and grandfather.
Will Princess Charlotte inherit any of the Queen’s jewels?
Princess Charlotte, the 8-year-old daughter of the Prince and Princess of Wales, wore her first royal brooch for Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral – a sentimental horseshoe-shaped talisman gifted to the young princess by the late Queen herself.
What happened to the Queen’s tiaras?
When it comes to the late Queen’s vast private collection of tiaras (thought to be as many as 50), they have most likely been passed down to younger women in the family. However, as the Queen’s will was private, we do not know for certain which members inherited what pieces. However, the Princess of Wales stands to inherit a generous selection of gems once she becomes Queen Consort as Prince William ascends the throne.
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FAQs
While many of Queen Elizabeth's most prized possessions have been handed down to King Charles III and the Queen Consort, other members of the royal family have been photographed wearing historic pieces from her collection.
What happened to the Queen's jewellery? ›
The Queen lent jewellery from her personal collection to other royal family members. She has lent tiaras and other pieces to her daughters-in-law, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, for events such as state banquets and royal weddings. She also lent jewellery to her granddaughters, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie.
Did Kate inherit all of the Queen's jewelry? ›
While Kate inherited $110 million in jewelry from the Queen, that collection did not include the Spencer tiara, a diamond-encrusted crown inherited by William's late mother, Princess Diana, in the mid-1970s. Diana wore the tiara in her wedding to King Charles—then Prince Charles—in 1981.
What has happened to the Queen's engagement ring? ›
If Queen Elizabeth's engagement ring wasn't left directly to Anne, it was likely returned to a secure vault for safekeeping; according to E! News, this hiding place is reportedly 40 feet below Buckingham Palace.
What did Harry inherit from the Queen? ›
William and Harry were the major beneficiaries of their Mother's estate. Since their father covered their bills, their Mother's estate was left to grow all these years. They received 10 million each after taxes and receive dividends at age 25 of $450,000 a year. They also were left $17.9 million from the Queen Mother.
Does Meghan Markle get any of the Queen's jewelry? ›
Meghan is still duch*ess of Sussex, but has no right to borrow the royal tiaras and gems the way her rivals do. All Meghan has is a pair of modest pearl and diamond earrings that Queen Elizabeth gave her.
Why did the Queen not let Meghan wear the Emerald Tiara? ›
Royal historian Robert Lacey clarified in his book, Battle of Brothers: William and Harry – The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult, that the reason Queen Elizabeth had rejected Meghan's first choice was a reasonable one: because the emerald tiara was said to have been possibly Russian, meaning that it could have been ...
Who has most of Diana's jewelry? ›
After the princess' death, most of her personal jewelry was inherited by her two sons Princes William and Harry, with pieces loaned to her during her lifetime being returned to Queen Elizabeth II, where they are most likely to have been inherited by King Charles in 2022.
Who inherited the Queen's engagement ring? ›
According to the same report, the Queen's engagement ring, which belonged to her mother-in-law Princess Alice of Battenberg, is likely to be inherited by her daughter Princess Anne.
How much did Harry inherit from Diana? ›
It's reported that Prince Harry inherited more money than his brother from their late mother, Princess Diana, totaling over $26.7 million. This was made possible through Princess Diana's initial bequest of just under $17.3 million, which was later increased through wise investments by royal advisors.
There have been multiple theories as to why Meghan removed her ring. A source told Page Six in August 2023 that she took her bauble to the jewelers to receive repairs. When the royal still wasn't seen without the rock three months later, rumors about a possible redesign started to emerge.
Was the Queen buried with her wedding ring? ›
Throughout her life the Queen was adorned with countless precious and priceless jewels, but will reportedly only be buried with simple sentimental pieces. Her wedding ring itself, made of Welsh gold, spawned a royal tradition, while her bejewelled engagement ring will reportedly be given to her daughter, Princess Anne.
Why does Prince Philip not wear a wedding ring? ›
"Although it's traditional for royal women to wear both an engagement ring and a wedding ring after they get married, it's never been traditional for royal men to wear one," she explained. "That's why Prince Philip and Prince William don't wear them.
How much did Kate Middleton inherit from the Queen? ›
How much did Kate Middleton inherit from Queen Elizabeth II? Radar Online reported in September 2022 that was Kate was expected to inherit $110 million in jewelry from the Queen after her death. The collection includes 300 personal pieces of jewelry that belonged just to the Queen and not the Crown.
Did Prince Harry inherit money from his great grandmother? ›
Prince Harry has reportedly received a hefty inheritance, while his brother Prince William hasn't been as fortunate. It's been revealed that the Duke of Sussex got a larger portion of their late great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's estate after she passed away in 2002.
How much is Prince Archie worth? ›
Currently, according to celebrity net-worth websites, they concur that the child's estimated net worth was 10 million dollars. Meanwhile, Keegan claims that because of "Meghan's amazing fashion sense, it is predicted that the new baby will bring in about $1.47 billion to the U.K. economy over a two-year period".
Who got all the Queen's jewelry? ›
16. "The Queen Consort, really, gets first choice of the queen's jewelry. And after that is Princess of Wales, of course, Kate. The duch*ess of Sussex, I'm sure, will come in for some jewelry at some point, but she is much further down the pecking order."
Who inherited the Queen's pearl necklace? ›
Who inherited Queen Elizabeth's pearl necklace? According to Showbiz Cheatsheet, it turns out that the queen's daughter, Princess Anne, ended up with this iconic piece of jewlery. And considering the shared love of pearls between mother and daughter, it makes perfect sense.
What happened to the Queen's pearl necklace? ›
Queen Elizabeth received her natural pearl necklace as a gift from her father. The necklace is estimated to be worth between $1 million and $1.2 million. Style experts from Diamonds Factory Ireland told Daily Express that after the queen's death, her necklace went to her daughter Princess Anne- a fan of pearls.
