500 Years Of Royal Jewellery Is Coming To Buckingham Palace For A Major Exhibition

When it comes to royal fashion, nothing defines a dynasty quite like its jewellery. British royals have spent centuries cultivating one of the most coveted collections of jewels, gems, adornments, trinkets and, of course, crowns. And now, for the first time, we’re getting an exhibition dedicated entirely to the royal family’s extensive jewellery wardrobe. Coming to The King’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace in 2027, here’s everything we know so far about Royal Jewellery: From Coronations To Keepsakes. (Hint: tickets drop this November.)

Royal Jewellery: From Coronations To Keepsakes – Dates, Tickets & What’s On Display

While the royal family has proved it can do fashion – extremely well, if Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life In Style is anything to go by – many of us magpies are drawn not to the swell of fabric or peep of a well-made shoe, but rather, to the sparkling jewels collected on their person. It’s for this reason, perhaps, that The King’s Gallery has pivoted away from gowns and suits to jewellery. 

Queen Victoria, 1882, by Alexander Bassano (c) Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust

‘This unprecedented exhibition will bring together some of the most important and spectacular royal jewels in British history, many never exhibited publicly before,’ said Caroline de Guitaut and Kathryn Jones, co-curators of Royal Jewellery: From Coronations To Keepsakes. 

Pulling together more than 300 pieces for the exhibition, the duo have woven through each piece the story of how individual jewellery items can give us a greater picture of the royal family. ‘Each jewel carries with it a human story: of love and loss, power and politics, family and faith,’ the curators add. ‘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.’

As is tradition at The King’s Gallery, the exhibition will be accompanied by a book of the same name – which also boasts being the first ever comprehensive study of the British royal jewellery collection ever published. 

Queen Alexandra and Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia, 1908, by W & D Downey (c) Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust

What’s On Display?

This is one of The King’s Gallery’s biggest exhibitions yet, and its largest dedicated to jewellery. As mentioned, there will be more than 300 pieces on display (around two thirds of which will be in show to the public for the first time), spanning from the 16th century to today – so you can expect jewellery worn by Henry VIII and Charles II to sit snugly beside pieces belonging to Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II. 

These will be shown alongside a collection of paintings, designs and documents from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives, brought together to give us a sneak peek into stories of politics, diplomacy, identity, faith, grief and love across generations of the royal family.

Queen Victoria’s Wedding Brooch, 1840. Given by Prince Albert on the eve of their wedding (c) Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust

And we can certainly expect some impressive names on the exhibition run sheet. The King’s Gallery will be tapping the likes of Garrard & Co., Cartier, Boucheron and Fabergé in its exploration of the evolution of royal jewellery, as well as the work of early royal goldsmiths. 

The exhibition, naturally, will be led by women in the royal family, with a display dedicated to the jewellery associated with every queen and monarch from Queen Charlotte to Queen Elizabeth II. From here, the curatorial team will trace the evolution of royal jewellery trends – from Georgian to Victorian to Art Deco to mid-century. Alongside a Fabergé pendant given to the future Queen Elizabeth II by her grandmother Queen Mary and the famous Greville emerald and diamond necklace, there will also be a set of garnet jewels that were recently linked to Queen Charlotte (on show for the first time).

Mourning Ring for Prince Albert, 1861, attributed to John Jabez Edwin Mayall (c) Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust

Jewellery and keepsakes exchanged between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert will also be on display, following their lives from courtship and marriage to parenthood and bereavement. some specials item to look out, says the Royal Collection Trust, include the diamond brooch Albert gave his future bride on the eve of their wedding and Victoria’s mourning ring set with her late husband’s photograph.

But it’s not all sentimentality. Stepping back into the 16th and 17th centuries, the exhibition also looks at how jewellery was used as an expression of loyalty, legitimacy and dynastic ambition in an era of great political disturbance. Keep an eye out for a pair of cufflinks said to have been worn on the scaffold of Charles I’s execution, which were handed to his loyal supporters and later linked to the cult of the monarch.

Will The Crown Jewels Be On Display?

While they would certainly fit right in with the pieces on show in Royal Jewellery: From Coronations To Keepsakes, the Royal Collection Trust has said that the Crown Jewels – worn during coronation ceremonies and the opening of parliament – will remain on display at the Tower of London. 

But fear not, there will be plenty of other crowns on display at Buckingham Palace, from the Diamond Diadem (made for the coronation of George IV and worn by Queen Elizabeth II on our coins and bank notes) to the Small Diamond Crown (a staple piece in Queen Victoria’s wardrobe).

Queen Victoria’s Small Diamond Crown, 1870, by Garrard & Co. (c) Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust

Details

Due to the extension of the Palace’s Queen Elizabeth exhibition, the next exhibition at The King’s Gallery will arrive in summer 2027 (rather than its usual spring slot). Royal Jewellery: From Coronations To Keepsakes will run for nine months.

What: Royal Jewellery: From Coronations To Keepsakes 

When: 25 June 2027 to 19 March 2028

Where: The King’s Gallery (Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA)

How To Get Tickets For Royal Jewellery: From Coronations To Keepsakes

Tickets for Royal Jewellery: From Coronations To Keepsakes will be available to the general public from Tuesday 3 November.

Want to get ahead of the crowd? Tickets will also be available to Royal Collection Trust e-newsletter subscribers from 28 October; sign up by the end of Tuesday 27 October to be eligible for early ticket access. Sign up here.

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