A closer look at Queen Elizabeth's exquisite collection of necklaces
by Rebekah Absalom · Mail OnlineQueen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, left a legacy that will endure for centuries.
Her unwavering dedication to her country and people defined her historic reign of over 70 years - and when she passed in September 2022, millions mourned the loss of an admirable leader.
Both during her life and after her death, the Queen's family honoured her with carefully selected necklaces from her extensive collection, symbolising their deep respect and affection.
As we detail below, Queen Consort Camilla, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and other family members have proudly worn pieces that once belonged to Elizabeth, continuing her legacy through these cherished jewels.
festoon necklace
A gift from her beloved father, George VI, the Queen wore the diamond festoon necklace throughout her reign.
George commissioned Garrard to create the piece in 1950, using 105 loose diamonds that had been stored in a reserve.
The resulting necklace boasts three strands of graduated stones, suspended between two diamond triangles.
Elizabeth wore the piece at state openings of Parliament and then really showed it off during a banquet for the state visit of the King and Queen of the Netherlands in 2018.
In a heartfelt tribute to the late monarch, Kate wore the necklace for the first time in the official portrait for the the King's Coronation last May.
Japanese pearl choker
The Japanese pearl choker was first loaned to Kate for the Queen and Prince Philip's 70th wedding anniversary celebrations in 2017.
She has continued to wear it on a number of occasions, including the funeral of Philip in 2021 and the funeral of the late monarch in 2022, where she paired it with the Bahrain pearl drop earrings.
It is believed that the Japanese government gifted pearls to Elizabeth, who then commissioned a choker to be made by Garrard in the 1970s.
The distinctive design features a diamond clasp that sits at the centre of four strands of pearls.
Princess Diana was also seen sporting the necklace during the state visit of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 1982.
Nizam of Hyderabad necklace
The dazzling Nizam of Hyderabad necklace, valued at more than £60million, is thought to be one of Queen Elizabeth's most precious pieces.
At the request of Asaf Jah VII, ruler of Hyderabad in India, Elizabeth was invited to choose two pieces from Cartier to commemorate her wedding to Prince Philip in 1947.
She opted for a tiara and necklace, inspired by an English rose.
While the tiara has since been dismantled to create other pieces, the necklace remains intact.
It comprises 38 diamonds - reduced from the original 46 - and a diamond-encrusted snap.
At the centre of the necklace lies a detachable double-drop pendant, featuring 13 emerald-cut diamonds and a pear-shaped drop.
The piece was initially sold in 1936, but was reacquired by Cartier from the buyer the following year.
The original necklace consisted of eight double-drop and three triple-drop pendants.
However, nine of these pendants were removed before it caught Queen Elizabeth's eye.
Kate is the only other royal to have worn the Nizam of Hyderabad necklace. She debuted it at the National Portrait Gallery Gala in February 2014.
Belgian sapphire necklace
In November 2022, just two months after the Queen's death, Camilla wore her late mother-in-law's Belgian Sapphire parure during a state banquet, held for South Africa's leader, Cyril Ramaphosa.
The necklace and earrings were the first of the George VI sapphire collection to be placed in the royal vault. They were given as a wedding gift to Elizabeth by her father.
She was so fond of them that she commissioned a matching tiara to be created using a 19th-Century necklace that once belonged to Princess Louise of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
In 1963, she requested a corresponding bracelet and rings - an unusual request considering she was said to dislike her hands and avoided drawing attention to them.
In its original form, the necklace had 18 sapphire clusters.
Preferring a shorter chain, Elizabeth had four links removed by Garrard in 1952, and turned the largest cluster into a pendant to hang from the centre.
It has a pin at the back so it can also be worn as a brooch.
Queen Alexandra's wedding necklace
This alluring necklace was a wedding gift from King Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, to his bride, Alexandra of Denmark.
The pair married at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in 1863, and the then Prince of Wales presented Alexandra with a parure of diamonds and pearls.
In addition to the opulent necklace, the collection consisted of pearl and diamond cluster earrings, a brooch with a detachable pendant and a diamond tiara.
The tiara, later known as the Rundell, was the only piece that Alexandra did not wear on her wedding day.
Following the Queen's death in 1925, the headpiece was passed down to her daughter, Princess Victoria, but its fate remains uncertain.
The other accessories were inherited by Queen Mary, Alexandra's daughter-in-law, who gifted the necklace to the Queen Mother.
It became one of her most-loved pieces of jewellery; she even wore it for her daughter's wedding at Westminster Abbey.
The necklace, earrings and brooch were inherited by Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, who wore them for evening events.
More recently, Kate selected the necklace for a state banquet with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, held at Buckingham Palace, in October 2018.
Three-strand 1952 pearl necklace
Queen Elizabeth was often photographed wearing pearl necklaces, most frequently her three-stranded 1952 design.
Featuring an elegant arrangement of graduated pearls, the piece, which was commissioned by Elizabeth herself, is completed with a diamond clasp.
Throughout her reign, the Queen wore this necklace countless times, showcasing its elegance across the globe.
In 2020, she layered it over an emerald green dress while delivering a speech to the nation amid the Covid pandemic.
During the inspirational TV address, her majesty paid tribute to a 'generation of Britons as strong as any' and said 'we should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return'.
The Princess of Wales wore these pearls for a governors-general luncheon, shortly after the Queen's passing in September 2022, and again at the 2023 Festival of Remembrance at Royal Albert Hall.
Coronation necklace
The Coronation necklace, which has belonged to the British royal collection since 1858, has been worn by every female monarch for their crowning ceremony.
It was made, along with matching pendant earrings, to replace a set from Queen Victoria's collection that was lost in the Hanoverian Claim.
The striking necklace features 26 stones, including the 22.48-carat Lahore diamond, one of the largest in Queen Elizabeth's collection.
Queen Victoria instructed Garrard to re-use stones from old jewellery - the Lahore diamond originally hung from the Timur ruby necklace. It also contains diamonds from two badges of the Order of the Garter and a sword hilt.
The pendant's central diamond can be removed, as Queen Camilla demonstrated during the State Opening of Parliament in July.
Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee necklace
For Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887, a special necklace was commissioned from the royal jeweller Carrington & Co, as a gift from a committee of charitable ladies.
There was considerable debate over the gift, with the initial choice being a diamond badge.
However, plans changed after the Queen expressed her disapproval, stating she 'would not like this at all.'
Ultimately, the necklace, costing £5,000 (equivalent to approximately £455,000 today), became one of Queen Victoria's most cherished possessions.
She left it as an heirloom of the Crown in her will.
Queen Elizabeth later wore the necklace on several occasions, often pairing it with the diamond-studded Kokoshnik tiara.
Emerald tassel necklace
Queen Elizabeth offered the world its first glimpse of the exquisite emerald demi-parure in 1989.
Arriving for dinner at Claridge's, she was spotted wearing the tassel necklace, paired with complementary jewels from the royal vaults.
Since the dinner took place during a state visit of the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, it is thought that Elizabeth's necklace had been a gift from the Sheikh.
The necklace formed part of a four-piece suite that also included a pair of earrings, a bracelet and a ring.
The Princess of Wales wore the earrings and bracelet for a dinner in 2022, hosted by Patrick Allen, the Governor General of Jamaica, at King's House in Kingston.