British Royal Wedding Earrings

The Duchess of Cambridge wears diamond acorn earrings on her wedding day, April 2011 (Paul Hackett – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

We spend a lot of time around these parts talking about tiaras worn for royal weddings. But bridal diadems aren’t the only jewelry pieces showcased during wedding ceremonies: royal brides often wear impressive and important earrings for their special moment, too. Here’s a look at a selection of significant earrings worn by British royal brides.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh pose for portraits following their wedding, November 1947 (AFP/Getty Images)

The Queen wore a major pair of heirloom earrings for her wedding to the Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947. These pearl and diamond stud earrings belonged to Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh, a daughter of King George III. They were originally the stud portion of a larger pair of earrings that included large diamond and pearl pendants; those pendant sections are now worn as a separate pair of earrings.

The Queen wears her wedding earrings at a reception for the Royal National Institute for the Blind, June 2013 (Jonathan Brady – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The Duchess of Gloucester bequeathed the earrings to her niece, the Duchess of Teck, in 1857; in turn, the Duchess of Teck bequeathed them to her daughter, the future Queen Mary, in 1897. Mary gave them to her granddaughter less than a year before her wedding, in January 1947, on the day that the royal family left for their tour of South Africa. The Queen still wears these occasionally; above, she sports them for a reception at St. James’s Palace in June 2013.

The Prince and Princess of Wales kiss on the palace balcony after their wedding, July 1981 (AFP/Getty Images)

Diana, Princess of Wales wore a pair of diamond earrings borrowed from her mother, Frances Shand-Kydd, for her wedding at St. Paul’s Cathedral in July 1981.

Daniel Chatto and Lady Sarah Chatto on their wedding day, July 1994 (ADRIAN CLACK/AFP/Getty Images)

Lady Sarah Chatto borrowed a lovely pair of diamond and pearl earrings from her mother, Princess Margaret, for her wedding day in July 1994.

Princess Margaret attends the wedding of King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium in Brussels, December 1960 (Central Press/Getty Images)

The earrings were a favorite pair from Margaret’s collection; she’s depicted wearing them in photographs throughout her life. Above, in December 1960, she wears them at the royal wedding of King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium. (Margaret, though, wore no earrings at all on her own wedding day. Perhaps she didn’t want to make them try to compete with the mighty Poltimore Tiara?)

Lady Sarah Chatto attends a memorial service in honor of the late Lord Snowdon, April 2017 (JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Sarah now owns the earrings and also wears them often. In April 2017, she wore them for a service celebrating the life of her late father, the 1st Earl of Snowdon, in London.

The Countess of Wessex leaves St. George’s Chapel, Windsor after her wedding, June 1999 (PHIL NOBLE/AFP/Getty Images)

For her wedding at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor on June 19, 1999, the Countess of Wessex wore a striking pair of earrings made of black and white pearls. The earrings, which are part of a suite that includes a cross necklace, were designed for Sophie by her new husband, the Earl of Wessex.

The Countess of Wessex attends the first day of Royal Ascot, June 2009 (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Sophie still wears these earrings on occasion. In June 2009, ten years after her wedding, she chose them to accompany a black-and-white ensemble on the first day of Royal Ascot.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall leave the Guildhall in Windsor after their civil wedding ceremony, April 2005 (TIM OCKENDEN/AFP/Getty Images)

The Duchess of Cornwall wore a favorite pair of earrings, featuring a diamond stud and a round pearl drop, for her wedding to the Prince of Wales on April 9, 2005.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall attend the inauguration of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, April 2013 (PATRIK STOLLARZ/AFP/Getty Images)

Although they are often obscured by her hair, these are easily Camilla’s most-worn pair of earrings, making appearances at numerous daytime occasions. In 2013, she even wore them for a rare occasion requiring daytime formal wear: the inauguration of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.

The Duchess of Cornwall arrives at St. George’s Chapel for the blessing of her marriage, April 2005 (MARTYN HAYHOW/AFP/Getty Images)

For the blessing of her marriage at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor later that day, Camilla wore antique diamond floral earrings from her jewelry box.

Laura Lopes wears her mother’s floral earrings on her wedding day, May 2006 (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

The earrings were also worn by her daughter, Laura Parker Bowles, at her wedding to Harry Lopes in May 2006. She paired them with another family jewel: the Cubitt Tiara.

The Duchess of Cambridge leaves Westminster Abbey following her wedding ceremony, April 2011 (Fiona Hanson – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The Duchess of Cambridge wore newly created diamond earrings from Robinson Pelham on her wedding day in April 2011. The earrings featured tiny acorn-shaped pendant drops inside a diamond frame and a stud portion shaped like a stylized oak leaf. (The earrings were a gift from her parents, and the Middleton coat of arms features acorns and oak leaves.) The oak leaf’s shape also echoes the scroll motifs in the Cartier Halo Tiara.

The Duchess of Cambridge attends the Order of the Garter Service, June 2016 (Steve Parsons/WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Kate has only worn the earrings once in public since her wedding: for the Order of the Garter Service at St. George’s Chapel in June 2016.

Zara Phillips Tindall leaves Canongate Kirk following her wedding ceremony, July 2011 (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Zara Phillips borrowed diamond earrings from her mother, the Princess Royal, for her wedding to Mike Tindall in Edinburgh on July 30, 2011. Zara paired the earrings with another jewel borrowed from her mother: Princess Andrew’s Meander Tiara, which originally belonged to her great-grandmother.

The Princess Royal attends a banquet at the Guildhall in London during the Spanish state visit, July 2017 (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Here’s a look at Anne wearing the earrings during the July 2017 Guildhall Banquet held in honor of King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain.