Queen Camilla, who has been on the throne for a year and a half now, since her coronation on May 6, 2023, alongside King Charles.
Of all of Camilla's royal crowns, the one with the highest status is the most luxurious queen's crown in British history:
the Coronation Crown of Queen Mary.
This Coronation Crown was commissioned by Queen Mary at her coronation, and was created by jeweler Garrard in the style of Alexandra's Coronation Crown, with a total of 2,200 diamonds, of which three were the most precious.
One was the Cullinan III weighing 94.4 carats, the other the Cullinan IV weighing 63.6 carats, and the legendary “Mountain of Light” diamond weighing 105.6 carats.
Queen Mary hoped that this magnificent crown would be the exclusive coronation crown of her successor.
But as Queen Mary lived to be 86, she was still alive when her daughter-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, was crowned and wanted to wear the crown at her son George VI's coronation.
So she had a new coronation crown made for her daughter-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, and had the rare “Mountain of Light” diamond removed and set in it.
After Queen Mary's death, the crown was placed in the Tower of London vaults for safekeeping.
It was not until the coronation of King Charles that the coronation crown saw the light of day again after 70 years of silence.
In order to make the crown more in line with her own style and characteristics, Camilla commissioned a craftsman to change the original eight arches into four, and then re-set the original Cullinan 3 and Cullinan 4 on the crown, and set the Cullinan 5, which was most often worn by her late mother-in-law, Elizabeth II, in the middle of the crown, to express her nostalgia and respect for Elizabeth II.
At the coronation of King Charles, Camilla wore a white coronation gown and Queen Mary's coronation crown, adorned with a luxurious diamond necklace in front of her neck, the whole person looked noble and elegant, and showed the royal demeanor and temperament between her hands and feet.
Crown of the Daughters of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara
On October 19, 2023, Camilla wore a crown of the Daughters of Great Britain and Ireland, a favorite of Elizabeth II's during her lifetime, while attending the Coronation Celebration Reception Dinner at the City of London.
The crown was a wedding gift to Queen Mary from the Daughters of Great Britain and Ireland Committee. An early version of the crown consisted of more than 1,000 diamonds set in a classic iris and scroll motif, and 14 eye-catching pearls at the very top of the crown, which can be replaced at the wearer's discretion.
Upon receiving the crown, Queen Mary was so impressed that she declared it one of her “most valuable wedding presents”.
In 1910, Edward VII died, George V succeeded to the throne, June 22, 1911, at the age of 44, Mary in Westminster Abbey was officially crowned Queen, in the first official portrait after the coronation, Queen Mary wore the crown of the Daughter of Great Britain and Ireland.
In 1914, Queen Mary commissioned Garrard, the Royal Jewelers, to remove the 14 pearls from the Daughter of Great Britain and Ireland's Crown and replace them with diamonds, as she was obsessed with her grandmother Augusta's “Lover's Knot Tiara”, and the crown's pedestal was also removed at this time.
The revamped Daughter of Great Britain and Ireland's Crown became much more everyday and became one of Queen Mary's most worn crowns on weekdays.
Queen Mary wore the original Girl of Great Britain and Ireland Pearl Tiara in 1896 and 1912
When Queen Mary's granddaughter, Elizabeth II, married Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, in November 1947, Queen Mary gave her this crown, her most beloved Daughter of Great Britain and Ireland crown, as a wedding present.
After receiving the crown, Elizabeth II is very precious to it, and affectionately called it “grandmother's crown”.
In June 1952, King George VI passed away and his eldest daughter Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne.
Elizabeth II became Queen of England, but also frequently wear the crown of Great Britain and Ireland's daughter of the crown appeared in the pound and stamps, this crown has become “printed on the pound crown”.
At the diplomatic reception at the end of the same year, Queen Camilla once again wore this highly recognizable crown of the Daughters of Great Britain and Ireland, which not only demonstrated the majesty and noble image of the British royal family, but also consolidated the status of the British royal family in people's hearts.
George IV State Diadem
On November 7, 2023, while accompanying King Charles III to the annual opening of Parliament, Queen Camilla wore the George IV State Diadem, a crown that only successive queens and empresses have been entitled to wear and which is never loaned out.
This crown is George IV coronation, spent more than 8,000 pounds commissioned jeweler Rundell & Bridge specially customized a coronation crown.
The crown is set with 1,333 diamonds, including four large yellow diamonds, with a total diamond weight of 325.75 carats. The base of the crown is set with 2 rows of pearls of equal size, totaling 169.
The top of the crown is made up of 4 square crosses and 4 alternating bouquets of diamonds with roses, thistles and clovers, the symbols of England, Scotland and Ireland, which are of great significance.
George IV hoped that this crown would replace the St. Edward's Crown as the exclusive crown for the coronation of future kings.
However, this was not to be, as the crown was too feminine and was not favored by future kings, but was instead treasured by the Queen and the Queen Mother.
On June 26, 1830, George IV passed away and his brother William IV succeeded to the throne, and the luxurious and glittering George IV crown came into the hands of Queen Adelaide.
Later, the crown was inherited by Queen Victoria, Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
As the crown was first made according to the king's model, which was not only heavier but also larger, when it was passed on to Queen Alexandra, a craftsman was asked to adjust the bottom ring of the crown to make it more in line with women's size.
On February 6, 1952, Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne.
This crown, which symbolizes the glory of the royal family, soon captured the Queen's heart, and the classic look of Elizabeth II wearing the George IV crown can be seen on her head, from the portrait of coins, the printing of stamps, and her participation in all kinds of major official events.
Now, by wearing the crown on such an important occasion, Camilla is not only highlighting her queenly status to the world, but also conveying a belief in continuity and legacy, and demonstrating her willingness to take on the responsibility and mission that comes with this noble role.
Burmese Ruby Tiara
On the evening of November 21, 2023, at a state dinner at Buckingham Palace in London for the South Korean presidential couple visiting the United Kingdom, Camilla looked radiant and glowing in a red velvet evening gown, wearing a Burmese ruby tiara that had once belonged to Elizabeth II, and adorned with a ruby and diamond necklace and earrings of the same style in her ears and the front of her neck.
Although this Burmese ruby crown is only 51 years old compared to the crowns above, it symbolizes the blessings of the Burmese people to the Queen and the deep friendship between Burma and Britain.
The Burmese ruby crown, commissioned by Elizabeth II, was created by jeweler Garrard. The rubies inlaid on it were carefully selected from the 96 rubies that the Burmese people had given her as a wedding gift, symbolizing peace and health, and protecting the wearer from 96 diseases, which is of great significance.
Elizabeth II wore the crown on subsequent major occasions such as her visit to Denmark in 1979, her visit to the Netherlands in 1982, her meeting with the President of the United States in 2019, and major state dinners, and at one time it was one of the most photographed crowns of her lifetime.
Now, Camilla has become the new owner of this crown, not only wearing it when receiving the South Korean president and his wife, but also wearing it when receiving the Emperor of Japan.
Camilla has not only inherited the Windsor jewelry box, but also some of the jewelry of the former Queen Elizabeth II.
Queen's Five Aquamarine Tiara
In addition to this Queen's Burmese Ruby Tiara, Queen Camilla unlocked another of the Queen's Aquamarine Ribbon Tiaras at the annual Diplomatic Corps Reception on November 19, 2024 at Buckingham Palace in London, England.
This aquamarine ribbon crown, as opposed to the Queen's most famous Brazilian aquamarine crown, can be considered a small transparent presence in the Queen's jewelry box.
Set with five signature oval aquamarine stones in the center, the crown is surrounded by diamond-studded ribbons and bows in a romantic style.
Worn only once at a banquet during Queen Elizabeth's tour of Canada in 1970, it was then permanently loaned to Sophie Rees-Jones, wife of her youngest son Prince Edward, and became one of her most iconic crowns.
Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara (Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Crown)
On December 3, 2024, the British Royal Family hosted a grand welcoming banquet at Buckingham Palace to welcome the King and Queen of Qatar.
At the banquet, Queen Camilla made a stunning appearance in a red velvet evening gown, adorned with a City of London spire diamond necklace in front of her neck, especially the Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara on her head, which became the focus of the whole room's discussion.
It is one of the most typical masterpieces of the Russian Kokoshnik style, and because Queen Alexandra was so fond of it, a coalition of noblewomen called “Ladies of Society” commissioned Garrard, the British royal jeweler, to create the kokoshnik-style crown on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the silver wedding of Queen Alexandra and Edward VII.
The crown is circular in shape, with 488 diamonds neatly arranged on 61 bars of white gold, forming a high wall of diamonds that sparkle and shine so brightly that you won't be able to take your eyes off them.
The crown is a dual-purpose model that can be worn as a crown on the head and as a necklace on the chest. Queen Alexandra received the gift and loved it so much that she wore it on many important occasions.
When Queen Alexandra died in 1925, she passed the crown on to her daughter-in-law, Queen Mary.
The crown can be seen in many portraits of Queen Mary.
When Queen Mary died in 1953, the crown went to her daughter-in-law, Queen Elizabeth. When Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne, the Queen Mother gave her this crown.
This seemingly simple and generous, but noble crown, soon captured the Queen's heart, became Elizabeth II, one of the most photographed crown, in many important occasions can see its figure.
Today, Queen Camilla wears Queen Alexandra's Kokoshnik Tiara in public, which is not only a precious legacy passed down from generation to generation of the royal family, but also a recognition of her status as a queen by the British royal family.
Post time: Jan-06-2025