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A silver and gold-lined diadem with an openwork frame set transparent with diamonds; narrow band edged with pearls, surmounted by four crosses-pattée, the front cross set with a pale yellow brilliant, and four sprays representing the national emble
Diamonds in the Royal Collection

Diamond-mounted works of art in the Royal Collection

GARRARD & CO

Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown

RCIN 31705

In 1870, Queen Victoria commissioned a diamond crown small enough to be worn above her widow's cap, as she continued to mourn her late husband, Prince Albert. The resulting piece was an openwork silver frame set with 1,187 diamonds. The queen's criteria of lightness and comfort seem to have been met as she frequently used the crown on state occasions and to receive guests, having first worn it at the opening of Parliament in 1871. The crown was also her choice for many of the portraits of her later reign, sometimes worn without the arches. By the time of her death, it had become so closely associated with her image that it was placed on her coffin at Osborne.


    The income from your ticket contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Royal Collection Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational activities.