The highly symbolic heirloom or Diamond Diadem, as it is called on the Royal Collection Trust’s website, is closely linked to the image of Queen Elizabeth, who passed away in September 2022. After all, the crown appeared in official portraits, on banknotes, stamps and, consequently, in pop representations of the monarch.
Queen Camilla.
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It was King George IV who commissioned the tiara from Rundell, Bridge & Rundell for his coronation. Gold, silver, numerous pearls to decorate the sash and an impressive number of diamonds—1,333 to be exact, were used to make it. On the cross in front, in a central position, figures a four-carat yellow diamond that makes that portion of the jewel shine in a different light. Stylized symbols of England, Scotland and Ireland are also present—namely, a rose, thistle and four-leaf clover, respectively.
After his coronation, George IV wore it in 1821 with a huge velvet hat, an accessory that prevented the jeweler’s masterpiece from being seen in its entirety, both during the ceremony and in the procession to Westminster Abbey. The sovereign died in 1830 and the state tiara passed to William IV, his brother first in line of succession, who passed it on to his wife, Queen Adelaide.
In 1838, the year of her accession to the throne, the tiara entered Queen Victoria’s collection, becoming one of her most cherished pieces. It was she who gave it imperishable fame by deciding that this much-loved crown could have the status of an heirloom destined to be handed down from queen to queen. It was later used for both coronation and private events also by Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth—wife of George VI and mother of Elizabeth II.
Queen Elizabeth with the diamond tiara.
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