From glittering coronation diamonds to intimate family keepsakes, more than 300 royal jewels will be displayed at Buckingham Palace in summer 2027, many of which have never been seen by the public before.
Opening on 25 June 2027, Royal Jewellery: From Coronations to Keepsakes will be the first exhibition to explore 500 years of British royal jewellery, with around two-thirds of the pieces going on public display for the very first time. Hosted at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, the exhibition will feature jewellery worn by monarchs from Henry VIII to Queen Elizabeth II, alongside paintings, designs and historical documents from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives.
Among the highlights will be the Diamond Diadem, which visitors might recognise from portraits of Queen Elizabeth II, who wore it in images reproduced on everything from postage stamps to banknotes. The dazzling piece actually dates back to George IV, for whose coronation it was originally commissioned. Visitors will also be able to admire Queen Victoria's Small Diamond Crown, which became so closely associated with the monarch that it was placed on her coffin during her lying in state.
Queen Victoria wears the Small Diamond Crown in 1882
supplied by Royal CollectionWhile the Crown Jewels will remain at the Tower of London, the exhibition will feature designs by some of the world's most prestigious jewellery houses, including Cartier, Boucheron, Fabergé and Garrard & Co.
Perhaps the most touching objects, however, are those belonging to Queen Victoria. Among them is a rather unusual brooch containing her eldest daughter's first milk tooth, which Prince Albert removed himself. Other keepsakes offer a glimpse into the couple's relationship, from a diamond brooch Albert presented to Victoria before their wedding to a mourning ring containing his photograph and their intertwined cyphers.
There will be plenty of pieces that even devoted royal watchers may never have seen, including a serpent-shaped bracelet belonging to Queen Alexandra and a Fabergé pendant, decorated with aquamarine and diamonds, that Queen Mary gave to her granddaughter, the future Elizabeth II. Queen Charlotte's garnet jewels and the Greville emerald and diamond necklace, part of Dame Margaret Greville's bequest to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, will also be displayed publicly for the first time.
Not all the stories are romantic, however. Visitors will also encounter objects connected to the execution of Charles I, including cufflinks said to have been worn by the monarch on the scaffold, later passed to his loyal supporters.
"This unprecedented exhibition will bring together some of the most important and spectacular royal jewels in British history, many never exhibited publicly before," said co-curators Caroline de Guitaut and Kathryn Jones.
The exhibition will run for nine months, until 19 March 2028, and will be accompanied by a book of the same name, described as the first comprehensive study of the British royal jewellery collection.
When can you book tickets?
Tickets for Royal Jewellery: From Coronations to Keepsakes will go on sale to Royal Collection Trust e-newsletter subscribers on Wednesday 28 October 2026, with general bookings opening on Tuesday 3 November via rct.uk. To qualify for early access, visitors must subscribe to the newsletter by the end of Tuesday 27 October. The exhibition will run from 25 June 2027 to 19 March 2028 at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London.