More than 300 royal jewels spanning five centuries are to go on display at Buckingham Palace in 2027, in the first exhibition devoted entirely to British royal jewellery.
Royal Jewellery: From Coronations to Keepsakes will open at the King’s Gallery on 25 June and run for nine months, with around 200 pieces shown publicly for the first time.
Royal jewels to go on display at Buckingham Palace in first-of-its-kind exhibition
The exhibition will trace royal jewellery from the 16th century to the present day, featuring pieces linked to monarchs and consorts from Henry VIII through to Elizabeth II.
Its curators, Caroline de Guitaut and Kathryn Jones, describe the objects as carrying “a human story: of love and loss, power and politics, family and faith.”
Rather than presenting the jewels simply as precious objects, the display will explore how they signalled loyalty, legitimacy, grief, faith and dynastic ambition. It will also include paintings, designs and archival material to place the pieces in their historical and personal contexts.
The Diamond Diadem worn by Elizabeth II in the portraits reproduced on coins, banknotes and stamps will be on display
Among the most anticipated items is the Diamond Diadem, made for George IV’s coronation in 1820 and later worn by Elizabeth II in the portraits reproduced on coins, banknotes and stamps.
Queen Victoria’s Small Diamond Crown, made in 1870, will also be displayed; it was placed on her coffin during her lying in state.
Visitors will also see cufflinks said to have been worn by Charles I at his execution in 1649, before being handed to supporters. They will be shown in public for the first time.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s keepsakes will also be on display
Some of the most intimate exhibits belong to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
They include the sapphire and diamond brooch Albert gave Victoria on the eve of their 1840 wedding, a bracelet set with pebbles collected on the couple’s first trip alone together, and a thistle brooch containing their eldest daughter’s first milk tooth.
Victoria’s mourning ring, set with Albert’s photograph and their intertwined initials, will complete the personal display. She wore it after Albert’s death in 1861, aged 42.
Five centuries of royal jewellery will be showcased
The exhibition will bring together jewellery associated with every queen and consort from Queen Charlotte to Elizabeth II, tracing shifts from Georgian grandeur and Victorian sentiment to Art Deco and mid-20th-century design. A set of garnet jewels recently linked to Queen Charlotte will be shown for the first time.
Other highlights include Queen Alexandra’s articulated serpent bracelet, a Fabergé aquamarine and diamond pendant given to the future Elizabeth II by Queen Mary, and the Greville emerald and diamond necklace from Dame Margaret Greville’s bequest to the Queen Mother.
