Queen Elizabeth II loaned an “intimate” piece of jewellery to Princess Beatrice and Princess Anne, GB News has exclusively learned.
The new centenary exhibition at The King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace, highlighting Queen Elizabeth II’s fashion, showcases the personal sentiment behind her most famous jewels.
A highlight of the display, which GB News exclusively saw the day before it opened to the public, is Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara, which Queen Elizabeth II famously wore on her wedding day.
It became a global symbol of royal continuity when then-Princess Elizabeth wore it for her wedding to Philip Mountbatten in 1947.
However, as exhibition curator Caroline de Guitaut explained to the People’s Channel, the tiara’s significance extends far beyond its craftsmanship.
It served as a testament to the late Queen’s personal relationships with her descendants.
Discussing the Queen’s decision to lend the piece to the Princess Royal and later to Princess Beatrice for their own wedding days in 1973 and 2020 respectively, Ms De Guitaut noted that the choice was deeply symbolic.
Queen Elizabeth loaned ‘intimate’ piece of jewellery to Princess Beatrice and Princess Anne
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GETTY / DOROTHY REDDIN / INSTAGRAM: EDO MAPELLI MOZZI
“I think it’s a piece that, because it was so intimately related to her own wedding day, probably felt like a really lovely connection through the generations,” she said.
The exhibition, titled Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style, features the tiara and the iconic Norman Hartnell wedding dress it once accompanied.
Ms De Guitaut suggests the way the Queen managed her wardrobe and jewellery was a unique form of communication.
“It shows that individual take on this really unique way of dressing, and using fashion to engage with people, audiences, and so on,” she explained.
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Queen Mary’s Fringe tiara as seen during the Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style exhibition
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DOROTHY REDDIN
Visitors to the exhibition will see the tiara in the context of an archive that spans 10 decades of the late Queen’s life.
Her Late Majesty would have turned 100 on April 21, 2026, however, she died at the age of 96 in 2022 after 70 years on the throne.
The display at the King’s Gallery marks the first time the fashion archive has been comprehensively curated since coming under the care of the Royal Collection Trust.
There were over 4,000 items to choose from, but Ms De Guitaut, who is the current Surveyor of the King’s Works of Art, picked the most important items to be put on display.
Queen Elizabeth’s wedding gown (designed by Norman Hartnell) as seen during the exhibition
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DOROTHY REDDIN
Ms De Guitaut’s insights reveal that for the late Queen, these objects were tools of connection.
By passing the tiara to her daughter and granddaughter, she ensured that her own historic milestones remained part of a living family tradition.
The exhibition further explores these themes with never-before-seen design sketches and correspondence that shed light on the private sentiment behind the public image of the most famous woman in the world.
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style opens to the public on April 10 and remains accessible until October 18.