Happy 91st Birthday to Queen Elizabeth II. The oldest and longest-serving British Monarch, the Queen has glittered at countless gala events throughout the past 70 years. Take a look at all the Tiaras worn by the Queen-
Click on the arrows on the right of each image to see the next one in the slideshow!
Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara
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Given to Queen Mary as a wedding gift in 1893 from the Girls of Great Britain & Ireland, this tiara was given to the the then Princess Elizabeth as a wedding gift from her grandmother in 1947. A favourite then as it is now, the Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara is the Queen’s most worn Tiara, and is reportedly very light and comfortable to wear.
Vladimir Tiara
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Originally featuring only the pearl drops when commissioned by Grand Duchess Vladimir in the 1870s, Queen Mary added emerald drops inherited from her grandmother, when she bought the piece from the Grand Duchess’ daughter in the 1920s, after it had been smuggled out of Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution. The Vladimir Tiara was inherited by the Queen after her grandmother’s death in 1953, and has become one of her most worn tiaras. The Pearl version is usually worn with Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee Necklace, while the emerald version is worn with the Delhi Durbar Parure.
Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara
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One of the Queen’s grandest Tiaras, Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik was given to the then Princess Alexandra for her Silver Wedding Anniversary in 1888 by Ladies of Society. The kokoshnik-style tiara was made similarly to one belonging to her sister, Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia. After Queen Alexandra’s death in 1925, the Tiara was worn by Queen Mary, and in 1953, it was inherited by Queen Elizabeth II, who has worn it regularly thorough out her reign.
Modern Sapphire Tiara
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Also known as the George VI Tiara, this piece originated with Princess Louise of Belgium, who wore it as a necklace and as a stomacher. In 1963, the necklace was acquired by the Queen, who turned it into a Tiara, to pair with the George VI Sapphire Parure. The Queen has worn it regularly since, including the Colombian State Banquet and Diplomatic Reception last year. It goes with a sapphire necklace and earrings given to the Queen as a wedding gift by her father. Click HERE to read in depth about the Tiara and the Sapphire Parure as well as the rest of her sapphire jewels.
Burmese Ruby Tiara
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Made from 96 rubies that had been given to her by Burma and diamonds from the dismantled Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara, the Queen ordered this tiara from Garrards in 1973, with elements resembling a Tudor rose. It was worn frequently from the 70s to the 2000s, but hasn’t been worn in this decade yet.
Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara
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Made from large aquamarines given to the Queen by the people of Brazil, this tiara was made in the 1970s, by adding elements on a tiara made in the 60s, to go with a parure made in the 50s. This Tiara is not frequently worn, but it has been worn a couple of times in recent years.
Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara
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Made by Queen Mary in 1919, the fringe tiara was given to Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) upon her husband’s accession in 1936, who wore the piece for her first official portrait. She loaned the tiara to her daughter, then Princess Elisabeth, in 1947 as a wedding tiara, when the frame snapped. The Queen Mother also loaned the tiara to her granddaughter, Princess Anne, for her wedding in 1973. Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara has been worn a rarely since it was inherited by the Queen in 2002. Click HERE to learn more about this Tiara.
Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara
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Made by Garrards for Queen Mary in 1914, as a replica of a tiara owned by her grandmother, the Duchess of Cambridge, the Lover’s Knot Tiara was inherited by the Queen in 1953, who wore it often in the early years of her reign. The Tiara was given as a lifetime loan to Diana, Princess of Wales, who complained about the ‘swinging pearls’, and returned to the Queen upon her death in 1997. The Duchess of Cambridge borrowed Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara for the first time at the Diplomatic Reception in 2015, and wore it again at the Diplomatic Reception last December. Click HERE to learn more about this Tiara.
Oriental Circlet Tiara
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Originally made as an opal tiara for Queen Victoria in 1853, the opals of the were replaced by rubies by Queen Alexandra. The tiara, an heirloom of the crown, was a favourite of the Queen Mother who wore it ( and its stunning parure) throughout her life, even after the death of the King, when it rightfully belonged to her daughter, leading the current Queen to remark; “Mummy will give them back.” She wore it on at many grand occasions throughout her life, and was one of the tiaras she continued to use in old age. The Oriental Circlet was seen on Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 in Malta.
Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara
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Chosen by the then Princess Elizabeth herself from Cartier’s stock, this Tiara was a wedding gift to her from the extremely wealthy Nizam of Hyderabad in 1947. It was worn regularly by the Queen in the early years of her reign, but was dismantled to create the Burmese Ruby Tiara in the 1970s. A diamond necklace, also chosen at the same time, is worn regularly by the Queen, and was even seen on the Duchess of Cambridge in 2014.
Five Aquamarine Tiara
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This small tiara, composed of five aquamarines in a ribbon setting, was worn by the Queen during a Banquet in Canada in 1970, and disappeared until it was worn by her youngest daughter-in-law, the Countess of Wessex, at the pre-wedding dinner of the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg in October 2012. The Tiara was also worn at the 2013 Wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and a State Banquet in 2014, leading many to assume it is on permanent loan to the Countess.
Plunket Tiara
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En route to the ‘Fanfare for Europe Gala’ in 1973, the Queen’s Tiara (probably the Grand Duchess Vladimir) broke, and thus her longtime friend and courtier, Lord Plunket, rushed to his home around the corner and loaned the Plunket Tiara to the Queen for the evening. (h/t to Cynthia from RJWMB)
Note: I have only included Tiaras that are owned by the Queen and were publicly seen on her. Others, including the Halo Scroll Tiara of Princess Andrew’s Meander Tiara are/were owned by the Queen but haven’t been publicly worn by her.
For more information, check out:
The Duchess of Cambridge’s Tiaras
I don’t usually comment but I gotta admit thanks for the post on this special one : D.