The Queen has had her job for seven decades, which means she's amassed quite the collection of jewels. And the most regal among them, of course, are her tiaras. The history of these headpieces is really quite extraordinary. Some were family heirlooms given to the monarch on the occasion of her marriage in 1947, like the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara. Others were commissioned by the Queen, made out of pieces of dismantled tiaras, like the Burmese Ruby tiara. But whether they're diamond, sapphire, ruby or aquamarine, all have their own special story.
SEE: Queen Elizabeth II's Tiara Collection
1 of 8The Girls Of Great Britain And Ireland Tiara
If this tiara looks particularly familiar, check your wallet. Queen Elizabeth II can be found wearing it on certain varieties of banknotes and coins. According to the Royal Collection Trust, it was originally a wedding present to the Duchess of York, the future Queen Mary, in 1893. In 1947, she gave it, again as a wedding gift, to her granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth, who was crowned in 1952. Here, she's seen wearing the tiara on a state visit to the US (circa 1978).
2 of 8The Burmese Ruby Tiara
This rather modern-looking jewelled headpiece - pictured here at a banquet in 1992 - is, like others in the collection, partly made out of a dismantled tiara, the so-called 'Nizam of Hyderabad' from Cartier. According to The Court Jeweller, the new tiara was made by Garrard, which was appointed the first official crown jeweller in 1843, out of rubies that were gifted to the Queen, to celebrate her wedding, by the people of Burma.
3 of 8The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara
The Vladimir tiara, according to the Royal Collection Trust, was made for the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, but eventually found its way to the Queen (the Duchess' daughter, Princess Nicholas of Greece, sold the tiara to Queen Mary, circa 1921). Rather ingeniously, the teardrop-shaped pearls can be interchanged for emeralds, depending on the mood of its wearer.
4 of 8The Queen Mary Fringe Tiara
The Queen wore this tiara on her wedding day, as did Princess Beatrice, who got married in 2020, and Princess Anne. It was made for Queen Mary, who had received the diamonds on the occasion of her wedding from Queen Victoria.
5 of 8The Diamond Diadem
According to the Royal Collection Trust, this rather spectacular diadem, made of diamonds, pearls, gold and silver, was commissioned in 1820. Made by Rundells, a royal goldsmith until 1843, for the coronation of George V, the final bill came to £7,126. The Queen wore the diadem to her first State Opening of Parliament (November 4, 1952).
6 of 8Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara
The Queen has worn this tiara - Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik - on many occasions, including this visit in the '60s to Pakistan. Arriving at a luncheon given by the Governor of Peshawar, its distinctive shape was captured to brilliant effect in this smiling shot. According to the Royal Collection Trust, the creation of this particular tiara was pain-staking for the jewellers who made it, Garrard, because of how the diamonds had to be aligned in each of its 61 bars.
7 of 8The Belgian Sapphire Tiara
The Queen doesn't wear this tiara as much as her diamond ones, but this sapphire number does get the occasional showing. The Queen had the tiara made to match a pair of sapphire earrings and a sapphire necklace that she already owned (the gems were a wedding present from her father, King George V). According to The Court Jeweller, she bought the necklace, which was then set on a frame to create a tiara, from Princess Louise of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
8 of 8The Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara
These, frankly, quite jaw-dropping aquamarines (note the bracelet, earrings, necklace and tiara) were gifted to the monarch on her various visits to Brazil, hence the name of the most impressive piece, the tiara. According to The Court Jeweller, the stone that originally sat in the centre was swapped for an even larger one, making it one of most elaborate (and tallest) tiaras in the royal collection.