1. GEORGE IV STATE DIADEM
Originally made for King George IV, it has 1333 diamonds and two rows of pearls with patriotic emblems of England, Scotland, and Ireland set in stone. tAlso called simply the Diamond Diadem, it is a heavily symbolic piece which is worn by the Queen Elizabeth II to her coronation and has continued to do so at every State Opening of Parliament since she became Queen in 1952.
2. THE GIRLS OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND TIARA
Queen Mary received this tiara as a wedding gift in 1893 from a committee representing the girls of Great Britain and Ireland. It featured pearls on top and a detachable base; Mary removed the pearls. She gave it to Princess Elizabeth, as a wedding present in 1947. Said to be light and easy to wear, this tiara seems to be the Queen’s favorite - she’s said to call it “Granny’s tiara”, and it is her most frequently worn diadem.
3. BRAZILIAN AQUAMARINE TIARA
The President and people of Brazil gave the Queen a necklace and earrings of aquamarines and diamonds for her coronation in 1953. In 1958, they added to the set by giving her a bracelet and large brooch to match. The Queen has also added to the set, commissioning a tiara from Garrard in 1957 which was substantially changed in 1971.
4. GRAND duch*eSS VLADIMIR TIARA (OR THE DIAMOND AND PEARL TIARA)
Made in 1890 for Grand duch*ess Vladimir, aunt of the last Russian Tsar Nicholas II, the Vladimir tiara was smuggled out of Russia during the Revolution by a British diplomat. In 1921 it was sold by the Grand duch*ess’s daughter, Princess Nicholas of Greece, to Queen Mary who adapted the tiara to take fifteen of the celebrated Cambridge emeralds as an alternative to the original pearls. Queen Elizabeth II inherited the tiara from Queen Mary in 1953, and has worn it with both the pearls and the emeralds.
5. QUEEN MARY FRINGE TIARA
Often confused with the George III Fringe Tiara, this tiara was made in 1919 from part of a necklace that Queen Victoria gave to her daughter-in-law Mary as a wedding present. Mary eventually gave it to Queen Elizabeth in 1936, and it was later worn by Elizabeth II as “something borrowed” on her wedding day in 1947.
6. QUEEN ALEXANDRA’S KOKHOSNIK TIARA
This Russian style tiara, including 488 brilliants, was a present from the Ladies of Society to mark the silver wedding anniversary of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra (then Prince and Princess of Wales) in 1888. It was made to Alexandra’s request, and passed after her to Queen Mary and then to the present Queen, who counts it among her favorite tiaras.
7. BURMESE RUBY TIARA
Commissioned by the Queen from Garrard in 1973, this tiara includes two of the Queen’s wedding presents: rubies from Burma, and diamonds taken from the Nizam of Hyderabad Tiara. It was the only ruby tiara the Queen used until the Oriental Circlet came into her possession following the Queen Mother’s death.
8. THE ORIENTAL CIRCLET
Designed by Prince Albert and made by Garrard for Queen Victoria in 1853, this tiara was originally set with opals. They were switched to rubies by Queen Alexandra as the tiara began to pass from queen to queen. It was frequently worn by the Queen Mother, and passed to the Queen on her death in 2002. The Queen has only worn it once to date.
9. BOUCHERON HONEYCOMB TIARA (OR GREVILLE TIARA)
Not originally a royal tiara, it was first owned by a friend of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, who left it to them upon her death. The Queen Mum later added diamonds to the top of the piece and left it to her daughter when she died in 2002. Queen Elizabeth II has loaned the tiara to the duch*ess of Cornwall when she married Prince Charles in 2005, and the duch*ess wears it often.
10. DELHI DURBAR TIARA
Made for Queen Mary to use at the Delhi Durbar and crafted from other dismantled jewels in her collection, primarily her Boucheron Loop Tiara. QueenMary loaned it to her daughter-in-law Queen Elizabeth for a tour of South Africa in 1947 and it remained with The Queen Mother until she passed away in 2002. The duch*ess of Cornwall gave the tiara its first appearance since 1947 when Queen Elizabeth II loaned it to her to wear for a banquet for the visiting Norwegian royal family in 2005.
