Last June it was 70 years since our Queen was crowned.
There are many wonderful photos of HM through the years, some of which I have in the past colourised and shared.
Many of the queen’s tiaras have been in the British royal family for more than a century, with some headpieces commissioned by the queen’s grandmother, Queen Mary, from the House of Garrard. One of my personal favourite and also one of the queen’s most frequently worn tiaras, which was passed down to her by her grandmother: the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara.
It is one of the queen’s most recognizable headpieces, as she’s frequently seen wearing the tiara. The diamond tiara was purchased by Queen Mary’s ladies-in-waiting as a wedding gift in 1898, according to the House of Garrard. Queen Mary later gave the tiara to her granddaughter as a wedding gift in 1947.
While the queen did not wear the tiara on her wedding day, she has regularly worn the piece throughout her reign and is seen wearing the tiara on certain issues of British and Commonwealth banknotes.
Another beautiful piece worn by HM in this photo is the Dorset Bow Royal Brooch
In 1893, Carrington created a brooch for Mary, the future queen of England. Now known as the Dorset Bow Royal Brooch, the piece featured a large, ornate bow awash in brilliant round diamonds pavé-set in gold and silver, with a hinged pendant loop. Diamonds lined the outer edges of the bow’s ribbon, while the interior had a line of diamond trefoils. The knot of the bow sported several large diamonds.
The design for the brooch was said to have been inspired by an 1855 piece made for the Empress Eugénie. The piece was sold at auction in 1887 with the remainder of the French crown jewels.
The brooch was a favourite of Queen Mary, who wore the impressive piece on many grand occasions. In 1947, Queen Mary gave the jewel to Princess Elizabeth as a wedding gift. Queen Elizabeth has donned the brooch for very special occasions, such as the christening of Prince Charles in 1948 and Princess Anne’s wedding in 1973.
The brooch has also been donned by HM on Remembrance Sunday Celebrations throughout the years