Queen Elizabeth passed away on September 8, and while many titles have changed hands, there are also many material influences belonging to the late monarch that need to be shared among her family. Much of her famous jewelry belongs to the crown and cannot be permanently distributed to anyone, but her own jewelry collection is another matter.
A royal expert named Katie Nicholl spoke to Tonight’s reception about who gets what and when.
Will Camilla the Queen Consort receive Elizabeth’s jewels?
“There is a hierarchy in all of this,” says Nicholl. “Queen Consort is, indeed, the queen’s first choice of jewelry. And then there’s the Princess of Wales, of course, Kate [Middleton]. The Duchess of Sussex is, I’m sure, going to buy some jewelry at some point, but she’s gone far beyond her caesarean order. “
What is the difference between the Queen’s private jewelry and the jewels in the crown?
The biggest technical difference is that the crown jewels “belong to the nation” rather than the individual wearing them. What sets them apart, Nicholl says, is that the crown jewels are well known and well-documented, while her own collection is much more mysterious.
“These were gifts given to the queen during her reign but the jewels on the crown belonged to the king,” she explained. “They are given from monarch to monarch in trust for the nation. So they technically belong to the monarch, but the monarch is not allowed to wear a jeweled tiara. They are kept safe in the Tower of London to protect the nation, and when a monarch dies, the crown jewels are immediately passed on to their heirs. “
How much is Queen Elizabeth’s jewelry collection worth?
As her collection is not well known outside of her immediate circle, no one can really say how valuable the Queen’s private collection is.
Nicholl said: “While we may have put billions of dollars on the crown, it is much more difficult to place value in the queen’s private collection, simply because we don’t know each item in the collection. her episode,” Nicholl said. “And, how can you put a price on something that could have been given to a world leader or a king or queen or emperor or queen 40, 50 years ago? These works have so much meaning, historical significance, that it is difficult to value them.”
She added that if a jeweler could see pieces she’d worn for years and put theoretical value on them based on visible stones and designs, they wouldn’t be able to. take into account the historical or sentimental value of such items. They are “simply priceless.”
What is the most famous piece of jewelry in Queen Elizabeth’s private collection?
Prince Philip proposed to Elizabeth on July 8, 1947 and presented her with a three-carat round-cut diamond ring believed to have been made from the tiara of his mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg. She will not be involved with this engagement ring but will wear her Welsh gold wedding ring.
“Whoever gets to wear that ring is going to be a very, very special piece,” Nicholl surmised. “I would imagine, maybe, maybe for Princess Charlotte. We’ll have to wait and see. “
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamor, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, lonely hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.
