More than 300 extraordinary jewels worn, commissioned and cherished by British monarchs will take center stage in a landmark exhibition at Buckingham Palace, offering an unprecedented look at five centuries of royal style, ceremony and personal history.
“Royal Jewellery: From Coronations to Keepsakes” will run from June 25, 2027, through March 19, 2028, at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, in London. The Royal Collection Trust announced the exhibition as the first ever to explore 500 years of British royal jewelry, from the 16th century to the present day. Approximately two-thirds of the pieces will be exhibited publicly for the first time, alongside paintings, designs and historical documents from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives.
The exhibition will trace jewelry’s role in shaping the monarchy’s public image while revealing more intimate stories of love, family, grief and remembrance. Its treasures range from creations by royal goldsmiths to designs associated with celebrated houses including Garrard, Cartier, Boucheron and Fabergé.
Among the most recognizable pieces is George IV’s Diamond Diadem, created for his lavish 1821 coronation. Made by royal jewelers Rundell, Bridge & Rundell, the striking headpiece features 1,333 diamonds set in silver and gold, including a four-carat pale-yellow diamond. Its design incorporates roses, thistles and shamrocks representing England, Scotland and Ireland. Queen Elizabeth II later made the diadem internationally famous by wearing it on her way to her 1953 coronation and in portraits reproduced on coins, banknotes and stamps.
Another historic highlight is Queen Victoria’s Small Diamond Crown, commissioned from Garrard in 1870. Set with 1,187 diamonds in an openwork silver frame, it was designed to sit comfortably above the widow’s cap Victoria wore following the death of Prince Albert. The crown became so closely associated with the queen that it was placed on her coffin when she lay in state.
Victoria’s emotional connection to jewelry is also represented by her sapphire wedding brooch, a diamond-accented sapphire gift from Albert on the eve of their wedding in 1840. The piece reflects the Victorian tradition of using jewelry to commemorate defining moments in a relationship.
The exhibition will also feature a necklace from Queen Charlotte’s garnet jewels, a late-18th-century collection newly connected to the wife of George III through recent research.
A Fabergé aquamarine and diamond pendant, dated 1909, represents the artistry of the celebrated Russian jewelry house. The Royal Collection Trust identifies it as a gift from Queen Mary to her granddaughter, the future Queen Elizabeth II.
Also on view for the first time will be the spectacular Greville emerald and diamond necklace, part of the bequest made by society figure Dame Margaret Greville to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.
As co-curators Caroline de Guitaut and Kathryn Jones explain, each jewel carries a human story of “love and loss, power and politics, family and faith.” The exhibition promises visitors an unusually personal perspective on the people behind the monarchy’s most enduring symbols.
The official Crown Jewels, which remain on display at the Tower of London, are not included in this exhibition.
Credits: Images courtesy of © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust.