As the saying goes, heavy is the head that wears the crown. But as it happens, the intricacies of who gets to wear which tiara is an intricate one, and it fell on the head of Queen Elizabeth to decide. Because as with everything having to do with the royal family, there are rules and regulations related to their design and use.
The sparkling headpieces historically signify royal lineage, status and tradition, but no matter how extravagant or elaborate their design and use follows along with some simple rules: they do not fully encircle the head like a crown would. Typically speaking, the royal tiaras appeared on the heads of Queen Elizabeth’s family members because she loaned them out for special occasions.
Some more rules: no tiaras before 6 p.m, except for the exception of daytime weddings. Another rule: no one gets to wear a tiara until they are a member of the family, or if you are born into the family, until you are married.
Unfortunately, there is no clear detail as to why and what the Queen would lend to her family members, but surely, there’s a special significance behind each decision.
Clearly, a lot goes into the decisions of doling out jewels and tiaras — but short of a tell-all from the Queen, her choices for who wore her gemstone and jeweled headpieces are certainly fascinating.
Keep scrolling for a look at the tiaras Queen Elizabeth passed down over the years.
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