The Sad Reason Why The Queen Was Rarely Ever Seen Without Her Pearls

Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96. And of all the iconic images of her being shared far and wide, the most eye-catching pictures show the monarch wearing her signature accessory: a triple string of pearls around her neck. She wore these pearls all the time, and she had a sentimental reason for doing so.

Royal accessories galore

The Queen had a trove of gorgeous accessories that made an impression each time she wore them. And plenty of those pieces were made of pearls that were family heirlooms or gifted to her by other public figures. But the strands she most often sported had a deep significance to the United Kingdom’s longest-reigning monarch.

The iconic pearls

You’ve certainly seen the Queen in her most precious set of pearls. The necklace is simple enough, especially compared to the crowns and other glittering pieces that she wore in public. It has three strands of pearls joined together to create an eye-catching yet soft collar that went with almost everything the monarch wore.

A gift fit for a queen

The Queen had long had her treasured necklace and, to ensure it was always wearable, she'd even had a second version made. The Emir of Qatar also gave the monarch a very similar piece, with three strings and a diamond-encrusted clasp, that she'd folded into the mix, too. In the final years of her reign, the Queen wore the first two sets interchangeably.

Royal by design

It might be impossible to discern between the first and second versions of the Queen’s most precious necklace. But look closer. The original one’s strands feature evenly sized pearls. The set she added to the collection afterward, however, has pearls of graduated sizes with the largest stones in the center of the necklace.