A Bejeweled Glimpse into the Remarkable Life of Queen Elizabeth II

Today officially marks the centenary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II. I’ve been celebrating the forthcoming anniversary here at The Court Jeweller and on Hidden Gems all year so far, and today I’m sharing a digest of that content, plus a look at the glamorous ensemble that opens the new Royal Collection exhibition, Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style.

Let’s start with the gown, shall we? Visitors to the new fashion exhibition at the King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace find themselves face to face with this glamorous dress immediately after stepping inside the exhibition rooms. The gown is a rare survivor from the iconic royal tour wardrobe made by Sir Norman Hartnell for the Queen to wear during her coronation tour of the Commonwealth in 1953-54.

The late Queen wore the gown for a special event in New Zealand: an investiture at Wellington Town Hall on January 12, 1954. Australia’s Sun newspaper called the event a “magic hour” that “began with the Queen gliding up a red-carpeted ramp on to a dais—a dazzling figure in an evening gown of silver lace over gold lamé.”

During the ceremony, the Queen presented honors to more than 100 recipients. Here, she knights Major General Sir Harold Eric Barrowclough, the Chief Justice of New Zealand. You’ll probably also recognize the equerry standing nearby, carrying the insignia on a cushion. That’s John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, better known to history as the 8th Earl Spencer, father of Diana, Princess of Wales and grandfather of Prince William and Prince Harry.

Elizabeth arrived for the investiture wearing the Hartnell gown, which the exhibition says “epitomises the elegance of Queen Elizabeth II’s eveningwear in the 1950s, with its combination of perfect silhouette and luxurious texture.” On her arrival, the Queen wore the dress with a white fur wrap and a treasury of diamond jewelry with links to her husband and her grandmother and great-great-grandmother.

Here’s a look at the shimmering gown in color, in a photograph that I took earlier this month while visiting the new exhibition. The gown is placed alone in a small room just inside the entrance. It’s shown in a glass case that allows the viewer to see the dress from multiple angles.

Elizabeth chose a selection of diamond jewelry from the cases she had brought along on the tour. She had four tiaras at her disposal during the trip: the Lover’s Knot Tiara, the Vladimir Tiara, Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik, and the Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara. She chose the Girls for the investiture.

Of the four tiaras, the Girls had been in Elizabeth’s jewelry box the longest. She received the jewel from her grandmother, Queen Mary, as a wedding present in 1947. Mary herself had been given the tiara as a wedding present in 1893, after a committee of young women–the “Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara”–raised money toward its purchase.

Elizabeth’s necklace and earrings for the investiture have an even longer royal history. The Coronation Necklace and Earrings were made for Queen Victoria in 1858. As the name suggests, the necklace and earrings have been worn at subsequent coronations by queens regnant and consort. Most recently, Queen Camilla wore the necklace for her coronation in 2023.

Elizabeth also wore a piece of jewelry that had been made just for her. Prince Philip presented her with this diamond bracelet in 1947 as a wedding present. It was made using diamonds taken from a tiara that had been given to his mother, Princess Andrew, by her uncle and aunt, Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia.

Here’s on more look at the dress from the promotional photographs taken ahead of the new exhibition. This particular image shows off the gorgeous cascading train that extends from the wearer’s left shoulder.

All year long, with today’s anniversary in mind, I’ve been publishing a series over at Hidden Gems dedicated to important days in the life of Queen Elizabeth II. So far, we’ve covered four crucial moments: her birth, the abdication, the end of World War II, and her royal wedding. I’ll link each of the articles below here:

• “The Young Princess Who Came to London”: The Birth of Queen Elizabeth II
• “Upon Her Falls the Shadow of the Throne”: Princess Elizabeth Becomes Heiress Presumptive
• “Thrill and Relief”: Princess Elizabeth Celebrates V-E Day in London
• The Tiara that “Fell to Pieces”: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s Royal Wedding (Part 1)
• “All the Nice Girls Love a Sailor”: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s Royal Wedding (Part 2)

The series will continue for the rest of the year, so be sure to subscribe to Hidden Gems for the rest of the story!

And because this centenary year is so important, I’ve also been sharing a second historical series at Hidden Gems, showcasing twelve of the tiaras from the late Queen’s jewelry collection. So far, we’ve taken a closer look at three of them, and the fourth–the iconic Girls of Great Britain & Ireland Tiara–will be number four this weekend.

• A “Really Regal-Looking” Cartier Jewel: Queen Elizabeth II’s Halo Tiara
• The Royal Bride’s “Something Borrowed”: Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara
• The Nizam of Hyderabad’s Dazzling Gift: Queen Elizabeth II’s Lost Cartier Tiara

While I was in London seeing Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style recently, I pre-scheduled a big celebration of the late monarch’s fashion and jewels, highlighting an ensemble and its coordinating tiara from the 1940s through the 2010s. If you missed any of those posts, I’ll also link each of them below.

• 1940s: White Satin and Shimmering Diamonds for Princess Elizabeth in Paris
• 1950s: Queen Elizabeth II Dines in Diamonds and Pearls at Downing Street
• 1960s: A Diamond Tiara—and a Black Veil—for Queen Elizabeth II at the Vatican
• 1970s: Queen Elizabeth II’s Dazzling Rubies and Diamonds for a Danish State Visit
• 1980s: Queen Elizabeth II’s Romanov Tiara Moment in San Francisco
• 1990s: Sparkling Sapphires and Diamonds to Celebrate the Queen’s Ruby Jubilee
• 2000s: Queen Elizabeth II Wears Queen Victoria’s Tiara in Malta
• 2010s: Queen Elizabeth II’s Astonishing Aquamarines during the Spanish State Visit

And, of course, I shared a big deep dive on Friday into every single piece of royal jewelry on display in Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style. Three tiaras, plus necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and brooches. An absolute bounty for viewers to enjoy! If you can’t make it to London, let me help you enjoy the exhibition through my experience. It’s the least I can do to thank all of you for reading all these years!

The British royals will be marking the big 100th anniversary today with a series of engagements, including a reception at Buckingham Palace. I’ll be back here later today if we glimpse any important jewelry on the Windsors during the celebration.