More than 300 pieces of jewellery worn by British royalty over the past 500 years are set to go on display next year, with many being shown to the public for the first time. The exhibition will bring together jewels belonging to some of Britain's most famous monarchs, including Henry VIII, Charles I, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II.
Exhibition Details and Highlights
Royal Jewellery: From Coronations to Keepsakes will open at the King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace in June 2027. Among the historic treasures are cufflinks which are said to have been worn by King Charles I on the day of his execution in 1649.
The collection will offer a glimpse into five centuries of royal life, revealing the stories of love, loss, grief, politics and power behind the jewels. The pieces will be displayed alongside paintings, designs and documents from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives.
Curators' Perspective
Caroline de Guitaut and Kathryn Jones, co-curators of the exhibition, said: “This unprecedented exhibition will bring together some of the most important and spectacular royal jewels in British history, many never exhibited publicly before.”
“Each jewel carries with it 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 and offer a deeply personal insight into the individuals and relationships that have shaped the monarchy across generations.”
Notable Pieces and Visitor Information
While the Crown Jewels will not feature in the exhibition and will remain on show at the Tower of London, visitors will see jewels created for coronations and major royal occasions. Among them are the Diamond Diadem, made for George IV's extravagant coronation and later immortalised in coins, banknotes and stamps bearing the image of Queen Elizabeth II, and Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown, so closely associated with the monarch that it was placed on her coffin during her lying in state.
Tickets will go on sale to Royal Collection Trust e-newsletter subscribers from Wednesday next week, before becoming available to the general public on Tuesday, November 3. The exhibition will run for nine months and will be accompanied by a book of the same name, described as the first comprehensive study of the British royal jewellery collection ever published.
