Queen Elizabeth's Iconic Tiara Seen for First Time Since Her Death

Queen Elizabeth II's most recognizable royal tiara has been seen for the first time since the monarch's death in 2022, worn by her daughter-in-law, the new Queen Camilla, to a dinner in London on Wednesday.

Elizabeth is reported to have had one of the largest private jewelry collections in the world, inheriting not just the use of the crown jewels in her position as monarch, but also a vast private collection that was hers in her own right.

Following her death, the majority of the queen's personal property is presumed to have been inherited by her eldest son, King Charles III, as through a 1993 agreement with the U.K. government, property passed from one king or queen to the next is not liable for inheritance taxation.

Queen Camilla debuted the tiara with Charles for the first time on October 18 for a celebratory dinner at London's Mansion House, marking their coronation back in May.

Camilla wore the diamond piece on an altered frame. Whereas Queen Elizabeth had worn it in a near closed circlet style, Camilla showcased the piece on an open frame in a band style across the head.

With the tiara, Camilla also wore two other key pieces from Elizabeth's jewelry collection, which the monarch had nicknamed her "best diamonds." These included a necklace and bracelet made from diamonds which had been given to her in 1947 on a visit to South Africa with her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother).

Though the exact number of tiaras in the royal's collection is still unknown, throughout her reign, Elizabeth used more than 10, with one being used more than the others.

Elizabeth's most worn tiara is known as the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, created in 1893 as a wedding present for the monarch's grandmother, Queen Mary.

Mary was an avid collector of jewels and the tiara was given as a gift on behalf of the "girls" of Great Britain and Ireland, paid for with money raised by subscription from women around the country.

In 1947, Mary gave the tiara to her granddaughter, Elizabeth, as one of her wedding presents and it was worn by the then princess for several photography sessions and public events in the years afterwards.

When she became queen in February 1952, Elizabeth wore the tiara for her first official portrait sitting with society photographer Dorothy Wilding.

In later years, the tiara featured on the official portraits of Elizabeth used for coins and stamps in British territories around the world, as well as becoming a regular feature at state and overseas events.

In 2006, Elizabeth discussed the tiara in a documentary with artist Rolf Harris—who was later convicted and jailed for committing indecent assaults on girls.

Describing the tiara, she noted that her grandmother had removed its diamond base before giving it to her as a wedding present, something she didn't realize until much later.

"I don't wear jewelry very much unless I have to," she said. "My grandmother gave me the tiara for a wedding present and I only discovered after I succeeded [to the throne] and got into her safe that I realized she'd taken the base off it, so its back on again. I suppose, well, she thought: 'The child's only 21, she doesn't need a very big one.'"

Prior to her death on September 8, 2022, Elizabeth last wore the tiara for a major public function in 2018 at the annual diplomatic reception held at Buckingham Palace.

Queen Camilla has worn several pieces from Elizabeth's jewelry collection since her husband's accession to the throne, including the monarch's sapphire and diamond tiara and matching necklace.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

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