Jewels in the crown of our sparkling Queen
As a new Buckingham Palace exhibition reveals the monarch’s most personal treasures...
A glittering array of priceless jewels from the Queen’s personal collection will go on display together for the first time at Buckingham Palace from today.
Among the 22 items are her iconic Diamond Diadem — set with 1,333 brilliant-cut diamonds and 169 freshwater pearls — her favourite the girls of great Britain and ireland tiara and the Queen Mary Dorset Bow Brooch and indian-style diamond bangles, which have never been exhibited in public before.
Platinum Jubilee: the Queen’s Accession celebrates the start of Her Majesty’s historic 70-year reign and centres on 24 official portraits of the Queen taken by legendary female photographer Dorothy Wilding.
Wilding’s original hand-finished prints, which are held in the royal Collection, are shown alongside the specific items of jewellery worn in them by Her Majesty.
in May 1937, Wilding became the first female official royal photographer when she was appointed to take the portraits following the Coronation of King george Vi and Queen elizabeth. the then 11-year- old Princess elizabeth featured in the photographs, along with her sister Princess Margaret, and the display at Buckingham Palace includes the embellished cream dress, purple robe and miniature gold coronet the young princess wore for her parents’ Coronation.
Some 15 years later, in February 1952, Wilding was commissioned to take the first official photographs of the new Queen elizabeth, just 20 days after she had acceded to the throne following her beloved father’s death.
The series of photographs Wilding took during this session — and a second two months later — have become some of the most enduring images of the Queen, as they form the basis for the profiles and silhouettes we see on stamps and coins to this day.
One of the most recognisable jewels is the girls of great Britain and ireland tiara, a gift to the future Queen Mary on her marriage to the future george V in 1893.
Queen Mary gave the tiara as a wedding present to her granddaughter, Princess elizabeth, in november 1947, along with her Dorset Bow Brooch and a pair of diamond bangles.
Many of the items of jewellery worn by the Queen for the portrait sittings hold deeply personal connections.
They include a sapphire and diamond Cartier bracelet, given to her in 1944 by her father, george Vi, as an 18th birthday gift, as well as her famous pearls.
Seen up close for the first time, the impressive nizam of Hyderabad necklace is a wonder.
The ruler of the indian province left instructions with Cartier in london that Princess elizabeth should select a wedding gift herself — and she plumped for this platinum necklace set with 300 diamonds.
The Queen wore the necklace for her second sitting with Dorothy Wilding in April 1952.
These photographs were chosen to form the basis of Her Majesty’s image on postage stamps from 1953 until 1971.
The necklace has become something of a family favourite, and the Queen most recently loaned it to the Duchess of Cambridge.
The breathtaking display can be viewed by the public as part of the annual Summer Opening of the Buckingham Palace State rooms, possible again for the first time since 2019.
Caroline de guitaut, Deputy Surveyor of the Queen’s Works of Art and curator of the display, told the Mail this was an ‘unrivalled chance’ to see some of the most incredible jewels from the Queen’s personal collection.
‘It’s very rare that we would display Her Majesty’s personal possessions like this. We are very lucky indeed.’
■ PLATINUM Jubilee: the Queen’s accession is open from today until October 2. tickets are available from rct.uk.