The Queen Only Dons Two Humble Jewelry Pieces In Her Grave

Oct 14, 2022 by apost team

While many mourned the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, some see a silver lining following her passing: a moment to celebrate the simple life she had lived while serving the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms until her last breath. 

For those who followed Queen Elizabeth's personal life, her reunion with the love of her life, Prince Philip, marks the end of perhaps one of the most remarkable love stories in royal history.  

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in history, died in September 2022 — more than a year since Prince Philip passed away in April 2021. Philip's passing, on the other hand, ended his reign as the longest-serving royal spouse, having served alongside Elizabeth for 65 years and having been married to the monarch for 73 years in total.

In Philip's honor, a funeral took place in April 2021; however, it had a limited number of guests due to the coronavirus restrictions that were in place at the time. The grief of his passing was felt deeply in the United Kingdom, but his family also shared the happier times spent with him. 

Following his death, a significant number of tributes and condolences poured in. His singular and incredible life has continued to be remembered and celebrated by his family. While Philip had a large number of achievements and accolades to his name, nothing will ever surpass the fact that he was the love of Elizabeth's life and that he was the most devoted consort to the queen. The Duke of Edinburgh was an active and dedicated member of the royal family ever since Queen Elizabeth's crowning. 

Over one year after Philip's death in 2021, Elizabeth herself passed away in September 2022. It was a devastating day for the royal family as many members gathered to be by her side in her final moments. Elizabeth will be buried alongside her husband after Philip is moved from where he was initially buried following his death in 2021. 

As Prince Philip was not a monarch, he wasn't given a state funeral but a royal ceremonial funeral instead. Due to the pandemic restrictions, the funeral was very small — only 30 people were allowed to attend. Many royal family members were a part of the funeral, including Prince Harry, who arrived from the United States, where he lives with Meghan Markle.

At the time, Express reported that the royal family arranged for the funeral to be held at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, where Philip's coffin was also expected to remain until the day the queen died, after which the Duke of Edinburgh would be buried alongside his wife of 73 years. Now that Elizabeth has passed, official arrangements are underway to ensure they are buried together.

However, first, the queen's body is expected to lie in state at Westminster Hall so that members of the public can pay their respects. Following that, up to 12 days later, she will be buried at the King George VI memorial chapel, which is the resting place of her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and her sister, Princess Margaret. Philip will be interred to join Elizabeth at the memorial chapel. 

This will be a final and poignant tribute to Elizabeth and Philip and their incredible, enduring love as loyal companions for over seven decades. 

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The late Queen Elizabeth II owned more than 300 items of jewelry throughout her reign as monarch. Her collection included 98 brooches, 46 necklaces, 37 bracelets, 34 pairs of earrings, 15 rings, 14 watches, and five pendants. These exclude Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.

These items are so important they had to be kept in the Tower of London. Perhaps one of the most striking items — which sat atop the queen's coffin during her funeral — is the Imperial State Crown.

The late Queen Elizabeth II had worn many crowns throughout her reign as monarch. But perhaps the most majestic crown she had ever worn was the Imperial State Crown. It has been in existence in various forms since the 15th century. 

Around the late 1600s, Charles II wore a new version of the crown made by Sir Robert Vyner to coincide with the restoration of the monarchy at that time. It has around ten versions made since then. The one, Her Majesty, used during her reign, though, was made for her father, George VI, in 1937, through luxury jeweler Garrard & Co. and inspired by the one Queen Victoria used in 1838. In 1953, the head size of the crown was adjusted to fit Queen Elizabeth II. 

But the crown is so special it has 2,901 precious stones, with Cullinan II diamond, St Edward's Sapphire, the Stuart Sapphire, and the Black Prince's Ruby among the notable stones embedded in it. The main materials used for the frame of the current version are gold, silver, and platinum. Meanwhile, the cap is made of velvet trimmed with ermine.

The crown is worn at the monarch's coronation, usually upon leaving Westminster Abbey, as well as at important events such as the State Openings of Parliament. 

Among the most prized jewels in Elizabeth's large collection is her engagement ring. Elizabeth and Prince Philip announced their engagement on July 9, 1947. The ring Philip used to propose comprised 11 diamonds originally from his mother's – Princess Alice of Battenberg, who was Queen Victoria's great-granddaughter – wedding tiara. The diamonds themselves have a very storied history. It is said Alice received the tiara on her nuptials from her distant relatives Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra of Russia, the last rulers of the Russian Empire. Apart from designing the ring with the help of London jeweler Philip Antrobus Ltd, Philip also used the remaining diamonds from the tiara to create a bracelet for his love. Both together are estimated to be worth $230,000. 

Another of her favorite pieces is her signature three-strand pearl necklace, made after her accession to the throne in 1952. She is commonly seen wearing it for television addresses to the nation. She also wore it to Princess Beatrice's wedding in July 2020. Leslie Field, the author of The Queen's Jewels, told People:

"It's the necklace that she feels is appropriate — she wants to wear pearls every day as her mother and grandmother did before her," Field explained.

"She wouldn't wear a diamond necklace to go to a charity lunch — it is simply traditional that a lady would wear pearls during the day."

Pearls were also her jewelry of choice at her wedding, but for that big day, she had worn a double-strand version. Among other notable pearls in her collection include the Queen Anne and Queen Caroline Pearl Necklaces, the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara and the Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara. 

Queen Elizabeth was also known to be a generous gifter and frequently handed down precious heirlooms to younger members of the royal family.

Among the jewels, Elizabeth passed down were – surprise, surprise – pearls. 

Glamour reported the earrings Princess of Wales Kate Middleton wore during the late queen's funeral were from her mother-in-law. The Bahrain pearl drop earrings were given by the Hakim of Bahrain on Elizabeth's wedding day in 1947.

Unlike the earrings, the necklace that Princess Kate wore holds a more prominent meaning not just to her but to the women of the royal family. 

According to Yahoo News, the earrings and necklace that Kate wore during the funeral were a repeat outfit from an event from the Queen's Platinum Jubilee last Jun. 2, 2022, the Trooping the Colour. 

Turns out, the pearl necklace also came from Queen Elizabeth II, which was already on long-term-loan with Princess Kate Middleton. In choosing to wear the necklace at the funeral, Kate decided to honor not only one royal but two women – her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, and Queen Elizabeth II. 

Initially, the Four-Row Japanese Choker necklace was given to the queen in the 1970s as a gift from Japan. She has worn it multiple times, notably during a state visit to Bangladesh in 1983. Princess Diana also borrowed the necklace once or twice before, including on a visit to The Netherlands in 1982. 

Nicknamed the "peacemaker" in her family, Princess Kate Middleton has stayed true to her epithet in deciding to honor both Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth II with the jewelry she consciously selected for the funeral. This just proves how much the newly ascended Princess of Wales valued her relationship with the queen and her late mother-in-law. 

In keeping with the tradition of only wearing pearls during a time of mourning, other royal family members Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and Zara Tindall, also wore pearls at the funeral.

While her coffin has been adorned with various royal objects believed to be worth millions of pounds, most of her jewelry won't be buried with her. 

Natural Diamond Council Head of Communications Lisa Levinson, a royal expert, revealed in an interview with Metro that the queen would be buried with only two jewelry pieces. Levinson adds that these pieces, while not as grand as some expected them to be, are only fitting for a humble woman like the queen. 

Before the queen's historic funeral, the Imperial State Crown, as well as the Sovereign's Sceptre and the Sovereign's Orb placed atop her coffin, were secured in place as a form of a precautionary measure. It is understandable, though, why these items were securely attached to the coffin to ensure they won't fall off and get damaged while moving from one location to another. Her coffin was also draped in the Royal Standard, a flag representing the Sovereign and the United Kingdom.

There have been several incidents of the crown and other items from the royal collection getting damaged in the past. Express UK reported that the crown fell off while being carried to Queen Victoria during the State Opening of the Parliament. The queen wrote in her diary that it was "all crushed and squashed like a pudding." 

The orb and the cross broke off in 1936, according to The Guardian. It has been viewed by many as a sign of bad luck after it fell into a gutter while the coffin of King George VI was being moved from London's King's Cross Station. 

The crown, orb, and scepter were taken from the queen as she was laid to rest for the final time — a significant moment signaling the end of her reign as the monarchy ushers in a new era. 

What about jewelry from the queen's personal collection?

Levinson revealed to Metro that the two pieces of jewelry the queen would be buried with, while not as grand as some expected them to be, are only fitting for a humble woman like the queen. 

"Her Majesty is an incredibly humble woman at heart who is unlikely to be dressed in anything but her simple Welsh gold wedding band to rest and a pair of pearl earrings," Levinson said. 

Meanwhile, Levinson said that one of the queen's most precious possessions — her engagement ring with the late Prince Philip — would be handed down to Princess Anne, the queen's only daughter. 

Lauren Kiehna of The Court Jeweller told Page Six Style information of who inherits a passing royal's jewels is usually kept very hush-hush.

"Royal wills are sealed, so we can't look to those documents for guidance," she said, adding:

"I think it's very likely that the Queen has followed in the footsteps of her grandmother, Queen Mary, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and bequeathed all of her jewelry directly to the new monarch, King Charles III."

Kiehna said it is likely King Charles will continue his mother's habit of loaning out her jewelry, saying he "will likely follow the same pattern, loaning out various items to different family members but retaining them as a single collection." It is also likely that some of the jewels will be seen on the Queen Consort Camilla in the future.

While it will take a while to get used to the fact that Queen Elizabeth's joyful presence will no longer light up royal events, her legacy will be one that will not only stand the test of time but will be set in stone.

Are you inspired by Queen Elizabeth II's humble life during her reign as monarch? What are some of your favorite of her pieces of jewelry? Let us know your thoughts, and pass this on to a fan of Queen Elizabeth II's simplicity!