Queen Elizabeth II wore many precious jewels [1] throughout her reign, but now that she's passed away at age 96 [2], many are wondering where her private collection will end up. That depends on whether her pieces were part of the Windsor collection [3] — passed down through generations — or her own private collection. The short answer is, her extensive range of pieces — which includes earrings, necklaces, tiaras — is divided into personal gifts and trust of the monarch.
She's lent many of her jewels to the royal family [4] throughout the years, mostly for special occasions, trips, and weddings. Meghan Markle [5] wore Queen Mary's diamond bandeau [6] as a bride in 2018, and Kate Middleton wore the Queen Mother's Cartier Halo tiara in 2011. However, the bulk of Queen Elizabeth II's items are in trust to the British throne [7], with her son having acceded as King Charles III [8].
"It is likely that she would want to pass on items from her private collection to her loved ones," royal commentator Josh Rom told the New York Post [9]. "The bulk of the collection will pass to Charles — with Camilla as his queen consort — and then Kate, so they may not [have] left anything big [in the will]."
Any members of the royal family who take ownership of Queen Elizabeth II's possessions will reportedly have to pay inheritance tax on them, save for King Charles III, who is exempt [10]. The royal collection also consists of an extensive range of artwork and reportedly makes up more than one million objects, with some dating back to Henry VIII's reign.
Ahead, reminisce on some memorable moments when Queen Elizabeth II wore her most magnificent jewels.
In 1957, Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to open a session of the Canadian Parliament. She wore her Norman Hartnell coronation dress and an array of significant diamonds and pearls. Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik tiara took centre stage, which was designed to resemble one owned by her sister, Empress Marie Feodourovna of Russia. The look was finished with the Coronation necklace and Queen Victoria's pearl drop earrings. Over her opera-length gloves, she wore a diamond watch and the Edinburgh wedding bracelet.
In 1983, the queen attended a state dinner with President Reagan at the De Young Museum in San Francisco wearing a gown with '80s-style, embroidered statement sleeves, accessorising with the pearl setting of the Vladimir Tiara, the Gloucester pendant earrings, and Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee necklace.
Queen Elizabeth II showed off Queen Mary's Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara during her royal tour to Paris in 1992.