The Tiara Knot from Queen Mary’s Lover
When Queen Mary ordered from Garrard House the Lover’s Knot, she got some recycled material. One of her existing toppers, England’s Tiara Ladies. Initially, the Lover’s Knot had 19 upright pearls placed along the top but gradually they were removed, leaving only the suspended pearls in place.
Diamond Bar Choker Necklace for Queen Mary
Queen Mary owned this piece of diamond for the first time — one of many diamond chokers in her set. The Queen Mother famously wore it in her 75th birthday portrait. Currently, Kate Middleton appears to have it on the Queen’s loan, as she has been spotted numerous wearing it in recent years.
The Four-Row Choker
Elizabeth wore the four-stranded pearl necklace. She loaned it to Princess Diana and Kate Middleton then
Per The Court Jeweller, it is believed that the Japanese Government gave Queen Elizabeth the pearls for the necklace. Subsequently, Garrard made the necklace — and likely designed to hold the fifth string of pearls, out of chance that the Queen might want to add it later.
The Prince Albert Brooch
Queen Victoria received sapphire and diamond brooch from her husband-to-be, Prince Albert, the day before their wedding. So that the next day she wore it pinned to her wedding dress. Victoria gave name the piece “an heirloom of the crown”.
Since then, all four consorts of queens and queens — Queen Alexandria, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Elizabeth II — have gone on wearing it. Princess Anne, the daughter of the former British king, has also been known to wear a replica of the brooch.
The Engagement Ring for Princess Diana
Prince Charles had given this beautiful ring to his first wife, Princess Diana. Diana continued to wear the piece even after their divorce and in 2010, Prince William gave it to his now-wife, Kate Middleton, as an engagement ring.
Given the grandeur of the ring, being an off-the-shelf item actually caused a bit of controversy. Charles purchased it from the Garrard’s store, and while the $60,000 price point meant it wouldn’t become too famous, royal family members were upset that it wasn’t custom designed. Nevertheless, Princess Diana was not among the critics— she picked the ring herself.
Tiara the Lotus Flower
This headpiece was first made in 1937 for Queen Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, who wore it in a series of photographs used to publicize the coronation of King George VI. She styled it low across her forehead, while previous generations wear it higher up.
In celebration of their wedding, George VI gave his wife a diamond and pearl necklace. It seems that this wasn’t to her taste, because she immediately had her components refurbished into the Lotus Flower Tiara.
Initially, the parure included a matching tiara, known as the Rundell Tiara, which unfortunately does not exist anymore. Per Order of Splendour, in his 2012 novel, The Queen’s Diamonds, the historian Hugh Roberts revealed that Queen Alexandra left the tiara to her daughter, Princess Victoria, who “dispose
Tiara the Cartier Halo
King George VI had originally bought the Cartier Halo Tiara for his aunt, Queen Elizabeth. She subsequently gave the piece as an 18th birthday gift to her daughter, then-Princess Elizabeth. It was the current Queen who lent Kate the tiara to Prince William for her wedding.
The headpiece consists of gold, 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 diamonds with batons. Its name derives from its shape (a halo) and from its origin. It has been said that George VI was a great admirer of Cartier’s work.
The brooch at the Maple Leaf
According to The Court Jeweler, the piece was made by jeweler Asprey. It is made of diamonds set in platinum and pays tribute to the Commonwealth country for its distinctive, Canadian-inspired design.
Gold Bandeau for Queen Mary
The main jewel of the tiara was originally a brooch that Queen Mary got in 1893 as a gift for a wedding. Forty years later the headpiece was specifically designed to display the spectacular brooch. The Diamond Bandeau consists of a compact band of 11 parts, which contains both pavé and brilliant diamonds.
