This Royal Inherited Queen Elizabeth’s Most Iconic Piece of Jewelry (And It Isn’t Camilla or Kate)
It’s no secret that Queen Elizabeth II owned many beautiful pieces of jewelry which she wore throughout her life. And one that royal fans saw the late monarch wear time and time again to countless engagements was her three-strand pearl necklace.
Following her death, the queen’s daughter-in-law Queen Camilla (formerly known as Camilla Parker Bowles) and her granddaughter-in-law the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) inherited some of the jewelry in royal family matriarch’s collection, but not her iconic pearl necklace. Here’s which royal that went to.
Who inherited Queen Elizabeth’s iconic pearl necklace?
Queen Elizabeth’s personal jewelry collection, which is separate from the Crown Jewels that are owned by the sovereign in a trust, consists of about 300 pieces including 98 brooches, 46 necklaces, 37 bracelets, 34 pairs of earrings, 15 rings, 14 watches, and five pendants. She received her natural pearl necklace as a gift from her father, King George VI. On top of the significant sentimental value, the necklace is estimated to be worth between $1 million and $1.2 million.
Style experts from Diamonds Factory Ireland told Express that after the queen’s death, her beloved necklace went to her daughter Princess Anne as she is a fan of pearls herself. The Princess Royal has been seen out over the years in her own pearl necklaces and pearl earrings.
Anne has been spotted wearing the necklace since her mother’s passing. She donned it when she made a surprise trip to New York City and visited the English Speaking Union.
What Kate and Camilla inherited from the late queen
Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales also inherited plenty of jewels from the monarch.
The Court Jeweller Lauren Kiehna, who spoke to Page Six about the subject, said that she believes Queen Elizabeth likely followed in the footsteps of her grandmother, Queen Mary, and her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and bequeathed most of her jewelry to the new monarch, King Charles III.
Because Charles and his heir Prince William are both males, Queen Camilla likely had her pick of many other pieces that belonged to her mother-in-law. Kate was then next in line and got to choose what she liked.
The Princess of Wales has already been seen wearing some of the queen’s jewels in public.
At Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral, Kate donned a four-row Japanese pearl choker necklace which featured a curved diamond clasp that once belonged to her grandmother-in-law. The princess’s pearl drop earrings were also part of the queen’s personal collection.
Moreover, William’s wife wore Queen Elizabeth II’s dangly diamond earrings to the Diplomatic Corps at Buckingham Palace in December 2022, and sported Queen Elizabeth’s George VI Festoon Necklace at King Charles’ coronation in May 2023.
