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Royal jewels to go on show at Buckingham Palace

News imageRoyal Collection Trust A small crown covered in diamonds, with a single arch topped by a cross and fleur-de-lis shapes around the bandRoyal Collection Trust
Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown, made in 1870, was placed on her coffin as she lay in state

More than 300 jewels linked to British royalty over five centuries are to go on display at Buckingham Palace next year, in what organisers say is the first exhibition of its kind.

The exhibition's co-curators, Caroline de Guitaut and Kathryn Jones, said each piece carried "a human story: of love and loss, power and politics, family and faith".

"Together, they have borne witness to the defining moments of royal lives," they said.

Pieces linked to royals from Henry VIII to Elizabeth II will feature, including about 200 that have never been seen in public.

News imageRoyal Collection Trust Two pairs of round silver cufflinks, one showing clasped hands under a crown above two hearts, the other crowned heartsRoyal Collection Trust
Charles I is said to have worn these cufflinks to his execution in 1649, shown in public for the first time

They include cufflinks Charles I is said to have worn on the scaffold for his execution in 1649, before it is said, they were handed to supporters.

The Diamond Diadem, made for George IV's coronation, will also be shown. Elizabeth II later wore it in the portraits used on coins, banknotes and stamps.

Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown is also included. It was so closely associated with her that it was placed on her coffin while she lay in state.

The exhibition will also feature jewellery linked to every queen and consort from Queen Charlotte to Elizabeth II, showing how royal fashion moved from Georgian grandeur and Victorian sentiment to Art Deco and mid-20th Century design.

A set of garnet jewels that recent research has connected to Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, will be shown for the first time.

News imageRoyal Collection Trust A gold ring with black enamel, set with an oval black-and-white photograph of Prince Albert in profileRoyal Collection Trust
Queen Victoria wore this ring, which holds a photograph of Prince Albert, after his death in 1861

Some of the most personal items belonged to Victoria and Albert, including the ring Victoria wore as a baby and the sapphire and diamond brooch Albert gave her the night before their wedding.

There is also a bracelet set with pebbles the couple picked up on their first trip alone together, and a thistle brooch containing their eldest daughter's first milk tooth, which Albert pulled out himself.

Victoria's mourning ring, which bears Albert's photograph and their intertwined initials, completes the collection. She wore it after he died in 1861, aged 42.

The Crown Jewels will not be part of the exhibition and will remain at the Tower of London.

Royal Jewellery: From Coronations to Keepsakes opens at the King's Gallery on 25 June 2027 and runs for nine months.

Tickets go on sale to Royal Collection Trust newsletter subscribers on 28 October and to the public on 3 November.

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