Every Time Someone Who Isn't Queen Elizabeth Has Worn Her Jewels

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 30 December 2019

In case you haven't noticed, Queen Elizabeth II has some bling. From pieces that were passed down to her from previous kings and queens, to gifts from world leaders, to refurbished jewelry, Lizzie has amassed one of the most spectacular jewelry collections in the world. (Technically, some are owned by the Royal Collection, but she also owns some privately, too.) Luckily for her relatives—and us royal watchers—she sometimes lends these gorgeous pieces to other members of the British Royal Family. Behold: Some of the most gorgeous bling ever, right this way.

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Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara

That the Queen lends out her jewelry is a time-honored tradition. Queen Elizabeth II wore this tiara, loaned to QE2 by the Queen Mother, on her wedding day in 1947 and at various royal events (including this one in 1976) over the course of her life.

Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara

When the Queen's daughter, Princess Anne, got married, she got to wear the Fringe Tiara along with a gorgeous veil. What a sweet (and expensive) "something borrowed!"

Diamond and Platinum Necklace

King Khalid of Saudi Arabia gave this necklace to Queen Elizabeth in 1979, and she's worn it frequently.

Diamond and Platinum Necklace

Here, Princess Diana (pregnant with William) attends an event at the Barbican Centre in 1982 wearing the loaned necklace. It was beautifully emphasized by the square neckline of Diana's dress.

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia Necklace

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia gifted the necklace seen here to the Queen in 1967; Diana wore it in 1983 during a trip to Australia.

King Faisal of Saudi Arabia Necklace

And Princess Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who is married to Prince Edward, Elizabeth's youngest son, wore it in 2012. We'll come back to that stunning Five Aquamarine Tiara in just a few slides.

Cartier Halo Tiara

Princess Margaret got the chance to wear this delicate band while on tour in Zanzibar in 1956, but that's probably not where you know this now-iconic piece from...

Cartier Halo Tiara

Princess Anne also wore the piece to an event in 1970 in New Zealand. But you've seen it much more recently...

Cartier Halo Tiara

That's right: Kate Middleton wore the Halo Tiara on that spectacular day in 2011 when she became Prince William's wife. The dazzling tiara was originally made in 1936 and owned by the Queen Mother, but she gifted it to Elizabeth as an 18th birthday present.

Meander Tiara

Although the Queen owns this interesting piece (it was given to her as a wedding gift by her mother-in-law Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark), she's never worn it in public. But the piece is favored by Princess Anne, who wore it here, in 1988.

Meander Tiara

Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, kept the family tradition going, wearing a tiara on her wedding day that her mother had worn previously.

Five Aquamarine Tiara

Seen here at the 2013 wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O'Neill, the Countess of Wessex has worn this tiara so often, it's assumed that the Queen has permanently loaned it to her.

Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace

Per HELLO!, "The Nizam of Hyderabad, then one of the richest men in the world, gave the Queen the ultimate wedding gift: anything she wanted at Cartier." That included a floral tiara (not shown) and necklace to match. The pendant is detachable.

Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace

Lucky Kate got to wear the dazzling piece at a National Portrait Gallery event in 2014. (It's pretty major, not gonna lie.)

Geometric Bracelet

Zooming out a little bit, this is a lovely story—Prince Philip's mother had a tiara converted into Queen Elizabeth's wedding ring, and the rest turned into a pretty geometric bracelet. The Queen has worn both (here, on her right arm) often since.

Geometric Bracelet/Lotus Flower Tiara

Queen E lent it to Kate for the Chinese State Banquet in 2015 (seen on her left arm). To this event, Kate also wore a borrowed Lotus Flower Tiara, which Princess Margaret loved, too. It is made out of a necklace that belonged to the Queen Mother.

Greville Tiara

This magnificent piece of headgear, seen here on the Queen Mother in 1954, has been in the Royal Family for ages. A wealthy lady named Mrs. Greville gave all her jewelry to the Queen Mother when she died, and Queen Elizabeth inherited all the pieces after her mother passed away.

Greville Tiara

Now Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, enjoys wearing the near-blinding tiara and has brought it out for several formal occasions, including this 2013 event in Sri Lanka.

Pearl Drop Earrings

These earrings are apparently very mysterious. Queen Elizabeth wore them for her Silver Jubilee in 1977 and then apparently never again. (How the experts can tell the difference between this and her other pearl earrings, I'll never know.)

Pearl Drop Earrings

But then! They reappeared when Kate went on tour to Canada, seen here, and then again for another tour to the Netherlands, in 2016.

Pearl Choker

The Queen owns a lot of pearl necklaces, but this three-strand choker with diamond embellishment is a standout—seen here in 1983.

Pearl Choker

Nearly 25 years later at the Queen's own wedding anniversary celebration in 2017, Kate got to wear the piece herself.

Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace

This necklace is part of the Greville jewelry collection, and the Queen favored it in her early years as monarch. The necklace is apparently quite heavy, so she had it shortened, and then eventually stopped wearing it.

Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace

Here, you can just spot Kate wearing the ruby necklace for a reception for the King and Queen of Spain in 2017. (We'll get to the Lover's Knot Tiara she's also sporting in a few slides.) Kate's styling of the necklace may have inspired the Queen...

Ruby and Diamond Floral Bandeau Necklace

...because she started wearing the piece again in 2018. Here, she's seen wearing it with a pair of ruby earrings at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

Queen Mary Bandeau

True to its name, Queen Mary originally owned this bandeau and bequeathed it to Elizabeth on her death. Meghan Markle wore it when she got married to Prince Harry in 2018. There were some controversial whisperings that Meghan was "banned" from accessing the pieces in the Queen's Royal Collection, but the Palace refuted that. (There is a hierarchy of who has access to them, though, with Kate as future queen higher than the Duchess of Sussex.)

Greville Emerald Tiara

Princess Eugenie was also loaned a fabulous piece for her wedding day—this pretty emerald tiara that complemented her simple, open-backed wedding dress. This piece is also from the Greville collection of jewels.

Pearl and Diamond Necklace

The Queen Mother loved this necklace, which was gifted to Princess Alexandra of Denmark upon her wedding to the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII. She's seen here in 1985 on her 85th birthday.

Pearl and Diamond Necklace

Kate paid tribute to the Queen Mum when she wore the necklace at a banquet for the King and Queen of The Netherlands in 2018. (She's also wearing the Lover's Knot Tiara, a favorite of hers.)

Irish Guards Brooch

The pin is perfectly festive—especially for the yearly Commemoration of the Irish Guards Regiment, as well as St. Patrick's Day. The Queen Mother wore it regularly until her death...

Irish Guards Brooch

Then Princess Anne wore it for a number of years...

Irish Guards Brooch

...and now it's Kate's turn. Here, she paired it perfectly with emerald earrings.

Sapphire Fringe Earrings

Seen here in 1986, the Queen Mother paired these sapphire and diamond earrings with classic pearls and a gorgeous broach.

Sapphire Fringe Earrings

Kate later borrowed them for the 100 Women In Hedge Funds Gala Dinner in 2015.

Sapphire Fringe Earrings

And she wore them again at a state banquet in 2019.

Teardrop Earrings

Queen Elizabeth wore these large diamond drops at the State Opening of Parliament in 2012—likely for the first time.

Teardrop Earrings

Here's Kate wearing the same stunners at a gala for The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in 2017...

Teardrop Earrings

...and again at a NATO reception, hosted by the Queen, in 2019. She's a fan of these, and has actually worn them to numerous other events.

Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings

The ruler of Bahrain gave the Queen several large pearls, two of which formed the base of these drop earrings. The Queen usually favors studs, so she doesn't wear these too often, but she did choose them for the Annual Festival of Remembrance in 2015.

Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings

Kate, on the other hand, as well as the Countess of Wessex, have worn the drop earrings more recently. Kate has donned them on several occasions, including on Remembrance Day in 2016.

Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings

And again, for the same event in 2019.

Lover's Knot Tiara

This particular tiara became synonymous with Princess Diana. She wore the gorgeous headpiece many times, including with this iconic "Elvis look" in 1989 in Hong Kong. The Queen had permanently loaned it to her.

Lover's Knot Tiara

Kate Middleton, since becoming Duchess of Cambridge, has worn the Lover's Knot at several formal events—including in 2016 at the annual Diplomatic Reception (she's also wearing those teardrop earrings from a few slides ago!).

Lover's Knot Tiara

Kate chose this tiara as recently as December 2019, at a reception for members of the Diplomatic Corps. Also, she's re-wearing that Nizam of Hyderabad necklace! To have access to these jewels...so jealous.

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.