Royals
10 Iconic Photos Of Queen Elizabeth Wearing The Crown Jewels

The late monarch knew how to work a tiara.

by Margaret Blatz
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Queen Elizabeth II’s reign was legendary. As Queen of England, she was a major player on the world stage and always dressed the part. While her fashion choices will be remembered as iconic, the times when the queen donned the royal family’s crown jewels were some of her most sparkling moments.

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They say if you’ve got it, flaunt it, and Queen Elizabeth II certainly had enough diamonds and sapphires to flaunt for eternity, but the late monarch wasn’t flashy. She only wore her extraordinary jewelry on the most special occasions.

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At the coronation of her father, King George VI, 11-year-old Princess Elizabeth and the rest of her family were outfitted in royal jewels to celebrate the momentous occasion.

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Photographed outside Westminster Abbey on her wedding day, Princess Elizabeth looked radiant in Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara. The piece, made in 1919, features 47 bars of delicate diamonds.

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You can’t be crowned queen without some truly stunning crown jewels. Queen Elizabeth’s coronation on June 2, 1953 featured a truly iconic piece from the family vault: St. Edward’s Crown. It’s only ever worn for the coronation of a new monarch.

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For her first State Opening of Parliament in 1952, Queen Elizabeth wore the George IV State Diadem. This piece is made of silver, gold, diamonds, and pearls, and weighs about 3 pounds.

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The tiara Queen Elizabeth II was wearing in this photo is known as the Vladimir Tiara. The pearls hanging between its diamond arches can be swapped for other precious gemstones such as emeralds.

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The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara was given to the queen by her mother, Queen Mary, as a wedding gift. It was reportedly one of Queen Elizabeth II’s favorites and she can be seen wearing it on some British currency.

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Queen Elizabeth had this tiara made in 1963 to match a sapphire necklace and earrings given to her by her father. It’s known as the King George VI Tiara or the Belgian Sapphire Tiara since it was made from a sapphire necklace owned by Princess Louise of Belgium.

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The queen’s Brazilian Aquamarine suite of jewels was given to her by the country of Brazil. The necklace and earrings were a coronation gift, and a bracelet and brooch followed. The tiara itself was commissioned by the queen, but features gifted stones.

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Though it shares design elements with Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara, Queen Elizabeth II’s Kokoshnik Fringe Tiara is much larger. It contains a whopping 488 diamonds.

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One of only two ruby tiaras owned by Queen Elizabeth II, the Burmese Ruby Tiara features 96 rubies throughout its English Rose-inspired design.

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