The British royal family own an abundance of jewels. From multi-million pound tiaras to diamond earrings, necklaces, and brooches set with the world’s finest gemstones, their collection is globally renowned.
Since the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II, various members of the royal family have been paying tribute to the late monarch through their choice of jewellery.
Fine jewellery and engagement ring experts at Steven Stone have explored their choices and the sentiment behind them.
Camilla, Queen Consort
Camilla paid a touching tribute to Queen Elizabeth II during the vigil in Edinburgh, and chose a specific piece of jewellery for the occasion.
The new Queen Consort wore a diamond thistle brooch on her black coatdress as she joined other members of the Royal Family at the cathedral, where members of the public later came to see Queen Elizabeth’s coffin.
The glittering piece reportedly belonged to the Queen’s mother who often used to wear it on her hat during formal visits.
When the Queen’s mother died in 2002, the item was inherited by Her Majesty who decided to gift it to Camilla.
“Featuring micro pavé set stones, Camilla’s diamond thistle brooch is a stunning piece that resembles the Queen’s Thistle of Scotland brooch that she wore at Royal Ascot in 2015.
The intricate brooch is oozing with sentiment – having previously belonged to the Queen’s Mother and being gifted to Camilla by the Queen.
The thistle is the national flower of Scotland, used as a symbol of the nation since the thirteenth century – making the brooch an incredibly touching choice as the Queen passed away in Scotland, at her beloved Balmoral Castle.
I’d estimate its value to be approximately £75,000.”
maxwell stone, creative director, steven stone
Princess Anne
Pearls have always had a connection with royalty and the Queen was especially known for her extensive collection of pearl necklaces that she wears for countless events and occasions.
The Queen’s love of pearls is something that she’s passed on to her daughter, Princess Anne, who has been wearing a pair of pearl earrings since the 1960’s.
Gifted to her by the Queen and Prince Philip in the late 1960’s, Princess Anne’s Grima Pearl Earrings have remained in her frequent jewelry rotation throughout her life, and they’ve made appearances at some very important personal events – including her wedding to Timothy Laurence in Scotland in 1992.
A particularly sentimental choice for Princess Anne, she wore the earrings on her journey to London alongside her mother’s coffin.
“Designed by Andrew Grima, Princess Anne’s Grima Pearl Earrings constitute gold, pearl, and diamonds in a modern leaf design.
Gifted to her by the Queen and Prince Philip in the late 1960’s, the earrings are one of Princess Anne’s longest serving pieces of jewellery and have huge sentimental value. Worn frequently at public appearances, the Princess most notably wore them on her first royal tour as an adult, in Australia when she was with her Mother at just nineteen years old, to her wedding to Timothy Laurence in 1992 and to Prince Phillip’s funeral in 2021.
The retail price for a pair of earrings like Princess Anne’s would be at the top end of £3,000.”
zack stone, managing director, steven stone
Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales
When Her Majesty was unfortunately missing from some of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations back in June, several members of the royal family honoured her love of pearls with their carefully curated outfits and accessories – including Kate Middleton, Princess Anne and Princess Beatrice.
Earlier this week, Kate Middleton wore a pearl necklace and a pair of pearl earrings to make a subtle nod to the Queen as she joined the royal family for a private vigil at the monarch’s coffin in Buckingham Palace. It’s highly likely that Kate was wearing the necklace in tribute to the late monarch, who was renowned for her lifelong love of pearls.
The Princess of Wales also paid tribute to the Queen with her jewellery choices when she made her way from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall for a service for the late monarch. Wearing an entirely black outfit, she accessorized with the Queen’s Diamond and Pearl Leaf Brooch.
When greeting members of the public at Sandringham – Queen Elizabeth’s private estate – on Thursday, the Princess was wearing a pair of Queen Elizabeth’s famous pearl earrings with a diamond stud as she viewed an overwhelming number of floral tributes to Her Majesty. The Queen wore the studs during her Silver Jubilee in 1977 and loaned them to get for her a historic 2016 trip to the Netherlands, which was her first solo trip abroad.
“Kate made a subtle nod to the late monarch – who was renowned for her lifelong love of pearls – earlier this week by wearing pearl earrings and a pearl necklace.
The Princess of Wales also wore a Pearl & Diamond Leaf Brooch that belonged to her late Mother-In-Law to a service for the Queen at Westminster Hall – with a value of approximately £60,000, the brooch features a trio of pearls placed in the centre of a pave-set leaf and is quite a substantial piece.
Having worn the sparkling brooch for the first time to a concert in South Korea on her birthday in 1999, the Queen loaned it to Kate, who has worn it several times since. Not only is it an incredibly sentimental choice for this reason, but it’s also an appropriate one as white jewels such as pearl and diamond pieces are often worn for mourning – a tradition that dates back to Queen Victoria.
When visiting Sandringham – Queen Elizabeth’s private estate – on Thursday, the Princess wore a pair of the Queen’s pearl earrings with a diamond stud. Originally worn by Her Majesty during her Silver Jubilee in 1977, they were a particularly sentimental choice as the Queen loaned them to Kate for her first solo trip abroad in 2016.”
maxwell stone, creative director, steven stone
Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle wore pearl and diamond stud earrings to Westminster Hall, where the Queen will lie in state until her funeral on Monday.
Subtle and elegant, the earrings completed the Duchess of Sussex’s all-black, two-piece ensemble and veiled headpiece.
The earrings were a gift from the late monarch after Meghan and Prince Harry’s wedding in 2018, making them a particularly meaningful choice.
Meghan was given the earrings ahead of her first and only solo engagement with Her Majesty, when they visited Cheshire together to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge.
“The Duchess of Sussex paid tribute to the Queen through the jewellery that she wore to Westminster Hall – a pair of pearl and diamond stud earrings that were gifted to her by the late monarch.
Megan was given the subtle and elegant earrings ahead of her first and only solo engagement with Her Majesty, making them particularly meaningful as they pay tribute to a happy memory that they shared together.”
Maxwell stone, creative director, steven stone
What are ‘mourning pearls’ and why are they a royal tradition?
It is commonly known that wearing black is seen as a mark of respect, as too is the wearing of pearls, in a tradition that dates back to Queen Victoria.
When Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert died in 1861, she was so overwhelmed by grief, she wore all black for the rest of her life, a period that spanned almost 40 years. Her head-to-toe black ensembles were broken only by the occasional piece of jewellery. Most of it was black, or colourless, but Queen Victoria also wore white pearls, as they were considered to denote purity and tears.
To mourn the loss of both her daughter Princess Alice in 1878, as well as Prince Albert, Queen Victoria wore brooches made with their initials, and a jet-black pendant set with a single, white pearl, establishing a tradition that has lasted until the present day.
More recently, Princess Anne, the Queen and Kate Middleton all wore pearls to Prince Philip’s funeral.
READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth’s 12 Most Iconic Jewellery Moments
READ MORE: How Kate Middleton ignited the pearl jewellery trend – as searches and sales soar
READ MORE: The Jubilee jewellery choices that honoured the Queen
READ MORE: The heart warming reason why Queen Elizabeth always wears a pearl necklace
