The soft power of royal jewellery: How the Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla's tiaras and brooches are laden with hidden meaning

Queen Camilla's jewellery sent a silent message of support for the King during their nine-day Caribbean tour amid a row over historic slavery reparations. Camilla, 79, attended the Independence Day Parade in Antigua wearing the same diamond drop earrings as at Their Majesties coronation ceremony in 2023. The Queen has previously worn the mystery gold sparklers on a handful of occasions, including at Royal Ascot in 2022, but their origin is not known. Tatler reported that they may have been part of the Queen Mother's Coronation Riviere, making Camilla's decision to wear them for one of the most tense royal tours in recent history a poignant display of tradition and continuity. It is the most recent example of the soft power that royal jewellery wields – and why certain pieces from the vault are seen more often than others. For instance, the Princess of Wales has worn the heavy Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara, which was also adored by Princess Diana, 15 times in the last decade. On the other hand, she has only worn the Cartier Halo tiara once since marrying Prince William – much like its previous owner, the Queen Mother, who received it as a gift from George VI, weeks before he ascended the throne. These priceless heirlooms have been in the Royal Family for decades, passed down from one generation to the next, as they offer rare insight into the world's most famous monarchy... The Princess of Wales has worn the heavy Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara, which was also adored by Princess Diana, 15 times in the last decade Queen Camilla wearing the Kent Amethyst during the King and Queen's US State Visit on April 28, 2026Japanese pearl choker Elizabeth debuted the choker during her state visit to Bangladesh in 1983In 1975, Queen Elizabeth II travelled to Japan for her first official visit, where she was presented with a set of shimmering Akoya pearls.The late Queen then commissioned her court jeweller Garrard to turn them into a choker with a diamond-encrusted clasp at the front, instead of the back. The unusual placement gave the ‘necklace a beautiful focal point’, according to Garrard’s chief creative officer, Sara Prentice.Although she favoured pearls for their timeless appeal, Elizabeth rarely wore chokers when she was on the throne, making the four-row necklace a unique addition to her extensive collection that quickly became one of her favourite pieces.Elizabeth debuted the choker during her state visit to Bangladesh in 1983 and continued to wear it for several high-profile royal engagements during her 70-year reign, including ‘Iron Lady’ Margaret Thatcher’s 70th birthday dinner.But Princess Diana wore the necklace before Elizabeth II, who loaned it to the princess for her first state banquet for Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, held at Hampton Court Palace in 1982.Elizabeth first loaned the magnificent jewel to Kate, then the Duchess of Cambridge, in 2017 for her and Prince Philip’s 70th wedding anniversary celebrations in 2017.In a poignant gesture, Kate wore the necklace to the funerals of both Prince Philip and Elizabeth in 2021 and 2022, respectively.Greville chandelier earrings Kate wearing the Greville earrings, designed by Cartier for society hostess and philanthropist Margaret Greville, to the BAFTA Awards earlier this yearCartier designed these famous chandelier earrings fitted with every known diamond cut for society hostess and philanthropist Margaret Greville over 11 years, from 1918 to 1929. Although they were initially created as a pair of drop earrings, Mrs Greville had them extended with 12 diamonds in 1922. The shoulder-skimming danglers were modified again in 1929, when the philanthropist requested ten more stones be added. The design features a mixture of diamond cuts, including half-moon, trapeze, square, baguette, baton and emerald.When Margaret died in 1942, she left a spectacular bequest of jewels to the Queen Mother, who passed them onto Elizabeth II on her wedding day in 1947. However, Elizabeth could not wear the dazzling Cartier jewels for the ceremony because her ears were not pierced and all her earrings had been modified into clip-ons before that. Elizabeth decided to have her ears pierced at the age of 25 before her accession in 1951 and finally wore the impressive jewels the following year when she attended the Royal Variety Performance. Today, the Greville earrings are part of Kate's collection, with the future Queen notably wearing them to the Bafta Awards earlier this year – shortly after the former prince Andrew's dramatic arrest. Kate made a royal return to the BAFTAs red carpet in February two years after she was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. Considering the 'scrutiny' into the former Duke of York's friendship with paedophile Epstein, the awards show came during a turbulent time for the Royal Family – but Kate delivered a 'masterclass in understated power dressing' and a 'quietly strategic reminder of stability' with her ensemble. Commenting on Kate's decision to wear the 100-year-old regal accessories, fashion expert Lisa Talbot told the Daily Mail: 'In a moment where the Royal Family is under intense scrutiny, her appearance felt quietly strategic, a reminder of stability, grace and the composure expected of a future Queen.' Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings Kate has worn the pearl earrings several times since Queen Elizabeth II's passing in 2022, including at her funeral, signalling both personal respect and royal traditionThe Bahrain pearl drop earrings were originally given to the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 by the Hakim of Bahrain as a wedding present.The jewellery, which features a diamond stud and suspended Art Deco-style diamonds ending in two Bahrain-sourced pearls, has become a symbol of royal continuity across generations.Diana was the first to wear the earrings after the Queen, having borrowed them as early as 1982 – a year after she herself became a royal bride.She often paired them with the Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara, a piece now closely associated with the Princess of Wales, who continues to wear the tiara at formal state occasions.Kate has worn the pearl earrings several times since Queen Elizabeth II's passing in 2022, signalling both personal respect and royal tradition. The future Queen most recently wore the heirlooms for Trooping the Colour, as royal jewellery expert Bethan Holt noted pearls are 'inextricably linked with Queen Elizabeth and her personal jewellery legacy'. At the time, the nod to both Diana and the late Queen was widely interpreted as a deliberate gesture, designed to underline the Princess of Wales's role as a bridge between the monarchy's past and future. Evidently a fan of the pearl earrings, Kate has been seen wearing them on at least half a dozen occasions, during Remembrance Sunday Services in 2016, 2019 and 2025, and later at the Royal Ascot in 2017 and at 2019's Trooping the Colour.She also wore the elegant pearls for the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, along with another piece of jewellery loaned to her by the Queen. Maple Leaf Brooch The brooch was inherited by the late Queen in 2002 after the death of her mother and she frequently wore the accessory to events in Canada or those relating to the countryAnother royal jewel that remains closely associated with the late Queen is her Canadian maple leaf brooch. The distinctive diamond brooch from Asprey was a gift to the Queen Mother from her husband, King George VI, ahead of their state visit to Canada in 1939.She often wore the brooch during the Second World War, pinning it to her hat as she toured bombed areas of Britain and wearing it on her shoulder to visit an ammunition factory.Her daughter, then Princess Elizabeth, wore the brooch for her first visit to Canada in 1951, when she stood in for her unwell father.The brooch was inherited by the late Queen in 2002 after the death of her mother and she frequently wore the accessory to events in Canada or those relating to the country.Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales have also both been pictured wearing the brooch while visiting Canada.Kate teamed the brooch with a maple-leaf red hat for her first official visit to the country in 2011, shortly after her wedding to Prince William. She also stunned in a simple red Preen dress, simply decorated with the brooch, for a reception at Government House in Victoria in 2016. Queen Mary's Fringe Tiara Princess Beatrice borrowed the tiara for her private Windsor wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, during the COVID pandemic in 2020On the morning of her wedding to Philip Mountbatten in 2002, Princess Elizabeth suffered a wardrobe malfunction.Her Majesty inadvertently tampered with the clasp on her tiara, not realising it could also be worn as a necklace.Fortunately, royal jeweller Garrard was on hand to fix the piece – by taping up the spring.The Queen Mother reportedly remained calm, saying: 'We have two hours and there are other tiaras'.The headpiece in question was the Queen Mary Fringe tiara, which had been given to the Queen Mother by her mother-in-law, Queen Mary.The diamond accessory, made by Collingwood, had been Queen Mary's wedding gift from Queen Victoria.Mary wore the convertible jewel in various forms, including as a headpiece and a necklace, before having it dismantled to create a new diamond fringe tiara.In 1919, she asked Garrard to create a piece in the style of a kokoshnik (a Russian headdress) comprising 47 graduated brilliant diamonds, rose-set tapering bars and 46 narrower spikes, which could be removed to form a necklace.The Queen Mary Fringe tiara is the most-worn wedding tiara by Windsor brides.Elizabeth's daughter, Princess Anne, selected the stunning piece for her first wedding in 1973.She tied the knot with British equestrian Mark Phillips in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey, attended by 2,000 guests.Princess Beatrice borrowed the tiara for her contrastingly private Windsor wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, during the COVID pandemic in 2020.She also wore her grandmother's vintage Norman Hartnell dress, remodelled by Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin.Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara Diana wearing the Lover's Knot tiara, made by Royal jewellers Garrard in 1914 It is a stunning heirloom that's been passed down through the royal generations, from Queen Mary to Queen Elizabeth II, to Princess Diana and, now, her daughter-in-law.Since the Princess of Wales first wore the Cambridge Lover's Knot in 2015, it has quickly become one of her favourites; she has worn the royal jewel 14 times in ten years.The Lover's Knot tiara was made by royal jewellers Garrard in 1914 to Queen Mary's personal design, using pearls and diamonds already in her possession.It was a copy of one owned by her grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse, who married the first Duke of Cambridge, seventh son of King George III, in 1818.The tiara has a strong French influence, made to a neo-classical design on 19 open-work diamond arches and enclosing an oriental pearl drop from a diamond lover's knot bow.Queen Mary used her existing jewels – including her dismantled Some Ladies of England Tiara, pearls from the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara and pearls from her favourite brooches – to create the bespoke piece.Queen Mary later removed the top layer of pearls and returned them to her brooches.In her will, Queen Mary left the tiara to the Queen, who wore it frequently, including at an evening event in 1955.In 1981, she gave it as a wedding present to Prince William's mother, Diana, who wore it for the first time at the state opening of parliament that November.After Diana's tragic death in 1997, the tiara was kept in a safe at Buckingham Palace before it was handed to Kate, then the Duchess of Cambridge, in 2015.Kate first wore the family jewel on December 8, 2015, when she attended the Queen's annual Diplomatic Reception in a touching tribute to her mother-in-law.Since then, the mother-of-three has worn it 14 times – including for the royal wedding of Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa in 2023, the first state banquet of King Charles's reign in 2022, and during US president Donald Trump's state visit last year.Despite its weight, the piece was equally adored by Princess Diana, who wore it to the opening of Parliament in 1981, shortly after marrying Charles. The Edinburgh Wedding Bracelet The late Queen's Edinburgh Wedding Bracelet was a gift from her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh She also loaned the opulent design to the Princess of Wales, notably for the 70th EE British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in 2017The late Queen's Edinburgh Wedding Bracelet was a gift from her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.When Philip designed an engagement ring for his bride-to-be, he recycled stones from the Diamond and Aquamarine Tiara that belonged to his mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.The sparkler featured a round three-carat brilliant stone, flanked by smaller pavé-set diamonds, leaving plenty of diamonds left over for additional pieces, including the bracelet made by Philip Antrobus Ltd in London.Queen Elizabeth wore the bracelet on a number of occasions, including the opening of Canada's parliament in Ottawa in 1957 and the State Opening of Parliament in 1999.She also loaned the opulent design to the Princess of Wales, notably for the 70th EE British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in 2017.The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara The late Queen wearing the dazzling Greville earrings and the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland TiaraIt's not just Kate who uses jewellery to honour the late Queen's legacy. Queen Camilla paid homage to Elizabeth II by wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara for a reception and dinner in October 2023.The exquisite tiara dates back to 1893, when it was gifted to Mary of Teck, on the occasion of her marriage to Prince George, Duke of York, later King George V.The headpiece is named after the committee of young women who raised money for its creation through a subscription.It features festoon and fleur-de-lis motifs, comprising diamonds set in silver and gold. Originally, it also incorporated 14 pearls. The piece can be worn as a tiara, coronet or necklace.Queen Mary showcased the tiara on many occasions, including the coronation of her father-in-law, King Edward VII, in 1902.Mary gifted her beloved tiara to her granddaughter, Elizabeth, when she married Prince Philip. Elizabeth reportedly referred to the diadem as 'Granny's tiara', and it became central to her wardrobe, both as a Princess and as a Queen.