Queen Elizabeth II’s reign can be told in jewels and Her Late Majesty had some favourite pieces, among them tiaras which she wore frequently. However, soe diadems were used much less often. This trio of sparkling pieces were all used by the late Queen but only seen briefly in public.
The Aquamarine Ribbon Tiara
While the Aquamarine Ribbon Tiara has quickly become a favourite of both Queen Camilla and the Duchess of Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth II only wore this artistic tiara once. The tiara has five large oval aquamarines, each with a diamond set ribbon surrounding the stone. Queen Elizabeth wore the tiara once, at a banquet in Yellowknife during her 1970 Tour of Canada.
(By Frankie Fouganthin – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wiki Commons)
It was originally thought that the tiara may have been broken up after she wore it in 1970 with the aquamarines used elsewhere, but Sophie was seen in it in 2012, putting that rumour to one side. Queen Camilla recently wore it for the annual Diplomatic Reception.
The Circlet Tiara
Prince Albert originally commissioned this diamond and opal tiara from Garrard’s in the 1850s; it has seventeen Mughal arches and lotus flowers, and is set with over 2500 diamonds. Many of the original diamonds were claimed legally by Queen Victoria’s Hanoverian relatives, leaving the tiara in limbo for decades. Queen Alexandra, however, reset the tiara with new diamonds and replaced the opals with rubies (as opals were considered bad luck).
(Flixtey, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wiki Commons)
Queen Elizabeth- the future Queen Mother- wore the Oriental Circlet Tiara throughout her life after becoming consort. Although it belonged to the Crown Jewels, she continued to wear it, with a young Queen Elizabeth II explaining, “Mummy will give them back”. Queen Elizabeth II wore the ruby and diamond tiara only once, at a 2005 State Visit to Malta.
The Plunket Tiara
There is an excellent reason why the late Queen only wore this tiara once- she didn’t own it. While on the way to a gala in Covent Garden in 1973, Her Majesty’s own tiara broke and there was not time to return to the palace for another.
(By Number 10, CC BY 2.0, Wiki Commons)
Patrick Plunket, 7th Baron Plunket, was a friend and a courtier and was able to help out in a pinch. He lived nearby and loaned Queen Elizabeth his own family tiara for the evening. The diamond floral tiara was perfect for the evening, with few guests any the wiser.
