It is one of the most symbolic pieces of jewellery in the royal collection and it will be worn again the first time that new Prime Minister, andy Burnham, oversees a State Opening of Parliament. It was originally created for a king but has only been worn by queens for almost two decades. Now, it can only be worn by Queen Camilla. The George IV State Diadem is one of the most sparkling gems in any royal collection but it was originally intended to be worn b ymen.
George IV had the diadem made in 1820 as he finally ascended the throne after over fifty years as heir to the throne and ten as regent. The gold and silver frame is decorated with over 1,300 diamonds and its design was rather modern at the time. Around the central cross, the new king had the gemstones worked into the four symbols for England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland rather than traditional heraldic symbols.
This gesture was a nod to the four countries George now counted as his realm, even if his relationship with them was far from secure. George was never a popular king, in thanks partly to his profligate spending, and his lifestyle had already made him the butt of public jokes and anger.
(Photo by Lydia Starbuck)
There was also little question of George creating a diadem for his queen to wear. King George IV hated his wife, Caroline, from the moment they met and she returned his disgust in equal measure. They married in 1795, with the groom extremely drunk and the bride extremely miserable, and after the birth of their only child, Charlotte, in 1796, they rarely saw one another and fell into a public spat that made any modern royal media war look like child’s play, Not even the death of Charlotte and her son, in childbirth, could reunite them. George, wearing his brand new diadem, ordered Queen Caroline be locked out of his coronation but she turned up anyway and banged loudly on the door, to no avail.
Queen Caroline, uncrowned, did shortly afterwards but George didn’t remarry so the diadem remained firmly in his possession. He was succeeded by his brother, King William IV, who hated all the finery that had made George so unpopular and didn’t even want a coronation. He was finally persuaded but it was so low key that it was dubbed the Penny Coronation. There was never any change of William IV wearing his brother’s fancy diamonds and from that point onwards it became a queen’s’ jewel.
(Michael Garnett via Flickr CC)
However, it can only be worn by queens and it was used for important moments by the two longest reigning monarchs in British history: Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II. The gem is just over 200 years old but for the vast majority of its lifespan, it has been worn by the Sovereign. But when the Monarch is a man, the diadem is now worn by his consort. Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) and Queen Camilla have all used it. And it’s most often seen at one of the most important moments in the year: the State Opening of Parliament.
(House of Lords Flickr)
It”s a diadem that has more than its fair share of associations with the State Opening of Parliament. Queen Elizabeth II wore the George IV State Diadem to her first State Opening of Parliament in 1952. Then, the Imperial State Crown wasn’t an option as her own coronation hadn’t taken place. Queen Elizabeth II then usually wore the King George IV State Diadem for the procession to and from the Palace of Westminster. Towards the end of her reign, Her Late Majesty chose to wear this gem throughout the State Opening while the heavier Imperial State Crown was instead carried before her into the House of Lords on a red velvet cushion and placed by the throne as a symbol of royal power.
The diadem itself is much lighter than the State Crown but is still a highly symbolic piece of jewellery. It was also among the most familiar signs of Elizabeth II’s reign as she was shown wearing it on the portraits used on stamps and coins in Britain and the Commonwealth.
Now, it is worn only by Queen Camilla who has used it for all the State Openings of her husband’s reign. As King Charles III welcomes the fourth Prime Minister of his reign, less than four years after he became Monarch, the diadem made for a man will next be seen when the new Premier oversees his first State Opening of Parliament.
