This September 8, 2022 is unfortunately a historic day: Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96. The news was confirmed by Buckingham Palace. “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The King and Queen consort will remain at Balmoral tonight and return to London tomorrow“, he said in a press release, an announcement greeted by enormous emotion in the United Kingdom where Elizabeth II was very popular.
The minute his death was declared, a whole funeral protocol was set in motion, detailed to the minute and designed several years ago. The sovereign had herself taken part in the preparations. A grand funeral is expected in the coming days. On the coffin of Elizabeth II, could be placed the imperial ceremonial crown, the very one that accompanied her throughout her record reign, which began in 1952. In addition to this exceptional piece, which she wore once a year for the opening ceremony of parliament in London, the queen took turns wearing her various favorite tiaras.
While Elizabeth owned some of these pieces personally, having inherited them or through gifts from other countries, others were part of the Crown Jewels. This is also the case for the crown of State George IV, which she wore on official occasions. The queen had a particular fondness for the Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara in diamonds, worn on her wedding day with Prince Philip. A tiara that was recently talked about when the sovereign lent it to her granddaughter Princess Beatrice for her own wedding, celebrated in the summer of 2020 in Windsor.
But her favorite would be the diamond tiara named Girls of Great Britain and Ireland, which she nicknamed “Granny’s Tiara” (“Granny’s tiara”). A model well known to the British since it is the one that Elizabeth II wears on sterling banknotes. Because she liked to wear it at state banquets, the tiara Grand Duchess Vladimir is also known to the public. This jewel has a particularity: it can be worn “naked”, with its empty diamond circles, or it can be completed with pearl or emerald pendants (see slideshow).
We must also add to this collection the impressive Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiarainherited from Queen Alexandra (wife of King Edward VII), the Burmese Ruby Tiara, which Elizabeth II had made in 1973 with rubies given to her as wedding gifts. There is also the aquamarine tiarawhich is part of a large set made from stones offered by Brazil at his coronation, the sapphire tiara, made from stones given to Elizabeth by her father at his wedding in 1947…