If we've said it once, we've said it a thousand times - no one knows how to capture our attention (and our imagination) quite like the royals.
With the world's best jewellers and designers at their beck and call - and the need to keep commanding such attention - it's no surprise they often pull out all the stops when it comes to their choice of scintillating, spectacular and sparkling necklaces that'll have every neck craning to sneak a peek.
From historic million-pound diamonds that have belonged to the family for centuries, to Meghan Markle's affordable high-street charms, these are our all-time favourite royal necklaces.
32 royal necklaces that captured our imaginations
Whether it's their penchant for scene-stealing hats or the glamorous gowns one just simply cannot get over, the royal family know how to captivate the world with their fashion choices.
1. Kate Middleton's Mappin and Webb Empress necklace
One of the most frequently worn necklaces by the Princess of Wales, Mappin & Webb's 18-carat white gold diamond pendant is one that personally belongs to Kate Middleton, who also has a selection of earrings by the same brand.
Described as sparkling and versatile by the designers, the necklace features a small pendant that is encrusted with sparkling round brilliant cut diamonds suspended from an adjustable chain. It's available to buy, costing £2,250.
2. Kate's Mappin and Webb Fortune Drop necklace
Kate Middleton was first spotted wearing this infinity necklace in December 2013, with some suggesting it might have been a gift to celebrate the birth of her first son, Prince George, six months earlier.
It's a mid-length necklace with a set of three white gold infinity loops crafted from 18 carat white gold and set with diamonds. According to the brand, the infinity loops are a “celebration of luck and good fortune."
The significance of three loops might have a connection to them becoming a family of three in 2013.
3. Meghan Markle's Cartier Juste un Clou
Set with 57 diamonds, Meghan Markle loves this classic Cartier necklace which was originally designed back in the 1970s. She has worn it multiple times, most notably at the 2022 Opening Ceremony for the Invictus Games.
Juste un Clou translates to "just a nail" in French, and the quirky design is made to look like a long nail wrapped around the wearer's neck.
It's still available to buy, but it comes with the price tag of a royal. Retailers including Harrods have it on sale, with prices starting at around £12,800.
4. Meghan's Child of Wild Starry Night Charm
The Duchess of Sussex is known to wear pieces with a deeper meaning behind them, which explains her love for this Child of Wild talisman - pictured here while she joined Prince Harry at the Invictus Games. The brand, Child of Wild, focuses on pieces which have "meaning and soul... jewellery that feels ancient and powerful. Talismans that activate past life memories or represent today’s purpose."
The best part? It's super affordable. This charm costs just £25.
5. Kate Middleton's emerald wedding gift
While pregnant with the child we now know to be the rambunctious Prince Louis, Kate Middleton glowed on the red carpet for the 2018 BAFTAs. Wearing a Jenny Packham dark green gown, Kate colour coordinated her accessories by debuting this dazzling emerald necklace (we'd seen the emerald earrings before, and they are believed to be part of a private gift set given to her after her 2011 wedding to Prince William).
The pieces are set with white diamonds, yellow diamonds, and square-cut emeralds, which are set within a floral border of diamonds. While those particular earrings are often touted as one of Kate Middleton's best pair of earrings, it's the necklace that really steals the show for us.
6. Princess Anne's Turquoise and Pearl Necklace
A recurrent colour for royal jewels, this sublime necklace made up of turquoises and seed pearls has been regularly worn by the Princess Royal since the 1970s. In the picture, she wore it to the 2007 Ladies' Day at Ascot.
The necklace was first given to Princess Anne's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, by the President of Pakistan in 1971. It's thought the late Queen might have given it to her daughter as a special birthday gift (the Princess Royal turned 21 in 1971).
7. Princess Anne's unique necklace, 1984
The Princess Royal toured Gambia in 1984 as part of her work with the Save the Children Fund. In addition to all the good work she got up to, she had time to rock some seriously unique neckwear. While the origins of this necklace are unknown - and we don't think we've seen her wear it since - it's a classic example of Princess Anne showcasing her openness to playing with fashion.
The necklace - which appears to be bronze or gold - has what looks like multiple sun symbols dangling off a series of thin chains.
8. Queen Elizabeth's classic three-strand pearl necklace
The classic image of the late Queen Elizabeth - when one pictured her, it very may well have been wearing this three-strand pearl necklace.
And there's a sentimental reason behind these being her go-to pair. She was 25 years old when she lost her father, and the pearl necklace that she received from him as a young girl gained more significance as a result.
In fact, the late Queen loved the three-strand pearl necklace so much that she had an identical one made. And in 1953, a third three-stand pearl necklace joined her collection. It was a gift from Emir of Qatar and the only difference between the three was that this version sported a diamond clasp.
As a result, the pearls became a signature, so it was beautifully fitting that Catherine, Meghan, Sophie and Zara paid tribute to the late Queen at her funeral by all wearing pearls.
9. Duchess Sophie's Hermes necklace
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh was once a relatively under-the-radar royal but has truly emerged as a style icon.
While Duchess Sophie isn't known to opt for the more opulent jewels and treasures, she did stun fans with this ultra-chic 'Constance' Amulette necklace from Hermès - a brand whose scarves were beloved by the late Queen Elizabeth.
The necklace from the French fashion house features a delicate pendant in rose gold set with 65 glistening 18-carat diamonds. It was reported to retail for around £7,500, however, her exact version is no longer available. You can still shop a silver one for £650.
10. The Diamond Ribbon and Festoon Necklace
According to royal historian Leslie Field - who has written several books on royal fashion - this intricate, statement necklace was an eighteenth birthday present to Princess Anne from her parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
The antique diamond festoon necklace with ribbons and bows, and pendant drops were gifted with a pair of matching earrings. The Princess Royal wore the mesmerising necklace for her official engagement portraits in 1973.
11. Queen Camilla's snake necklace
Queen Consort Camilla showed off her unique style with this snake inspired accessory, made up of a number of diamonds decorating the body of the snake and two bright rubies for the eyes.
She has worn it on several occasions, so we know she either loves the playful style - or perhaps it has some emotional significance. The provenance of the necklace has never been confirmed, however, various reports claim it might have once belonged to her grandmother. However, others have previously suggested the necklace was bought by the then-Prince Charles for Camilla, before they were married.
12. Queen Camilla's Van Cleef & Arpels snowflake necklace
Van Cleef & Arpels is one of Queen Camilla's favourite jewellery brands, with the Queen Consort showcasing a number of pieces from the French designers over the years, including brooches and bracelets.
This necklace - the Snowflake pendant - includes a dazzling 85 stones for a total of 6.05 carats. The Snowflake High Jewellery collection is inspired by flakes of snow - an inspiration for Van Cleef & Arpels since the 1940s. Round diamonds combine to form dazzling winter motifs.
13. Duchess Sophie's tribute to the late Queen
Before the late Queen passed away in September 2022, it was known that she had strengthened her bond with her daughter-in-law, Sophie.
Sophie - and her husband, Prince Edward - were reportedly a great source of comfort to the late Queen after the death of Prince Philip. So it's especially touching that Sophie carried this bond close to her heart after the change of the monarch.
Sophie's shining silver necklace is engraved with a quote which reads "The golden thread of courage has no end." This is a line taken from a poem read by the late Queen Elizabeth II in her 1981 Christmas address.
14. The Danish Parure
The British Royal Family aren't the only ones with an eye for something magnificent.
This parure (which literally translates to "set" in French and is the formal name given to a suite of jewellery) seen here on Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has one of the most fascinating histories.
When the conqueror eventually set up his empire in France, he handed one of his marshals - Jean Baptiste Bernadotte - money to purchase a new suite of jewellery for his wife Désirée. Bernadotte had a lavish set of diamond and ruby jewels made, and the set included a necklace, girandole earrings, and a large corsage brooch, as well as two hair ornaments in the shape of branches, with pavé-set diamond leaves and ruby berries.
Worn to Napoleon and Josephine’s coronation, Désirée would later become the Queen of Sweden in 1810. The parure found itself back in the hands of the Danish when Désirée's granddaughter - Princess Lovisa - married Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 1869.
15. Kate Middleton's Sustainable Pearl necklace
Kate's modern twist on the classic pearl necklace perfectly shows how she marries her style with her values. The chain has been handcrafted and manufactured from 100% recycled silver and gold.
Monica Vinader are committed to responsible manufacturing, and commit to adhering to and promoting fair and equal human and labour rights.
The necklace features a lustrous pearl suspended from an adjustable fine chain made from gold vermeil. The necklace’s cultured freshwater pearl means every piece is unique.
16. The Nizam of Hyderabad
One of the most enchanting necklaces in the royal vaults, the Nizam of Hyderabad is a Cartier-designed necklace featuring a staggering 38 diamonds, including 13 emerald-cut diamonds and a pear-shared drop centre diamond.
The necklace was a wedding gift to the then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947, gifted to her from the last ever Nizam of Hyderabad - one of the richest rulers of the time.
Kate Middleton first wore this illustrious piece - estimated to be worth more than £63 million in 2014 at the National Portrait Gallery’s Annual Gala, and has gone on to wear it again, including at the Queen's Diplomatic Reception in 2019.
17. Princess Diana's Swan Lake set
Crown jeweller Garrard - who also created Diana's engagement ring, which would later become Kate Middleton's - created this stunning diamond and pearl necklace, as part of a set for Princess Diana. The jewels, made of platinum, were set with 214 diamonds and seven large South Sea pearls.
The piece later became known as “the Swan Lake set” after the princess wore the necklace at a performance of Swan Lake, her last official engagement before her untimely death in 1997.
It's perhaps because of her death that the necklace has leapt in value over the years. Following her death, the necklace was sold for the relatively bargain price of just over £500,000, before it was relisted again in 2017 – this time for approximately £13.8 million.
18. Kate Middleton's ultra rare jewel necklace
This necklace (and matching earrings) which Princess Kate wore for the Order of the Garter Service in 2022 perfectly complemented her stunning blue outfit - and many believed it was a sapphire to match her legendary engagement ring.
However, the deep blue stone is actually tanzanite, a rare stone found only in Tanzania.
The pendant necklace features 20 round brilliant cut diamonds, set around the focal stone. Tanzanite is one of the world's most newly discovered gemstones - and is only mined in one place. Ultra rare, and ultra chic.
19. Queen Elizabeth's Aquamarine Suite necklace
This glistening necklace is part of the aquamarine parure - sometimes known as the Brazilian Aquamarine Parure. The diamond and aquamarine pieces were presented to the Queen in 1953 by the Brazilian president as a coronation gift on behalf of the people of Brazil.
Royal historian and author Leslie Field, who has written multiple books on the jewels of the royals, described the necklace as "nine large oblong aquamarines each in a diamond scroll setting with an even bigger oblong aquamarine pendant drop."
By 1957, the Queen had also commissioned Garrard to make a tiara to match the aquamarine necklace.
20. The George VI Festoon
In 1950, King George VI - the late Queen Elizabeth's father - had a diamond necklace from Garrard commissioned for the Princess using 105 loose collet diamonds that were among the heirlooms he inherited, which had previously been used by Queen Mary to change the lengths of her multiple diamond collet necklaces.
The necklace is composed of three strands of graduated collet diamonds suspended between two diamond triangles, with a single strand of collet diamonds at the back.
In 1953, shortly after she ascended to the throne, the late Queen had the festoon necklace shortened. Garrard removed ten diamonds from the necklace at her direction, so that they would sit more closely to her throat - more in keeping with the fashion of the time.
Perhaps because they were a gift from her father, the Queen wore the festoon often during her early years on the throne, including several overseas state visits in the 1950s.
21. Camilla's ruby and diamond 'breastplate'
As there's no confirmed origin for this jaw-dropping necklace, many have assumed the piece was a diplomatic gift given to the then-Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, offered during trips to the Middle East in the 2000s.
It is known that in March 2006, the Saudi royal family gifted a trio of bejewelled parures to Charles and Camilla: one set with sapphires, one set with emeralds, and one set with rubies.
While it's never been confirmed, this showstopping necklace - which has been compared to a breastplate before due to its sheer size - could easily be the ruby gift. Worn for an appearance in New York, the piece includes 37 rubies set in diamond clusters, arranged between geometric diamond spacer elements.
22. The Queen Mother's Amethyst Sautoir
Queen Alexandra presented this to her granddaughter, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon as a wedding gift in 1923. A fitting gift, given the romantic heart-shaped amethyst pendant which sits in the centre of the romantic pearl and diamond necklace.
While not many photos exist of Lady Elizabeth - better known as the Queen Mother - wearing the necklace, she would eventually pass it down to her own children.
Queen Camilla wore it to the premiere of the James Bond movie, Skyfall, in 2012.
23. Greville Festoon necklace
After the Queen Mother died in 2002, many of her favourite jewels weren't seen for some years. However, plenty got a new lease on life after they were loaned out to Camilla, who was then the Duchess of Cornwall.
One such necklace that the now Queen Consort brought back was the opulent Greville Festoon. It gets its name from the original owner, the incredibly wealthy Mrs Ronald Greville.
Mrs Greville was a close friend of the Queen Mother and left her most of her enormous jewellery collection, including this diamond and platinum necklace. Made by Cartier in 1929, the original incarnation of the piece was a two-row necklace, however, in 1938 to have the piece made even more magnificent, Mrs Greville requested they added three more rows of diamonds and reworked the back chain sections of the piece.
One source has claimed the full piece has around 250 to 300 carats with stones as big as five carats.
24. Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace
Replete with diamonds and studded with opulent pearls, Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace has a rich, romantic history. The necklace was given to Queen Alexandra by Edward VII for their marriage in March 1863.
The necklace features eight large pearls surrounded by small diamonds and is joined up by garlands of diamonds.
One of the most expensive pieces of royal family jewellery, it's a seldom-seen necklace, which is why Kate Middleton wearing it for a 2018 State Banquet in honour of the King and Queen of the Netherlands proved a memorable treat.
25. Queen Elizabeth's Pearl Choker
While the late Queen Elizabeth was known for her love of traditional pearls, she would occasionally put a bold spin on the precious stone with this four-row choker.
The pearls were reportedly a gift from the Japanese government, possibly acquired during the 1970s, when she made a state visit to that nation and the clasp is made of diamonds. The necklace was constructed by Garrard by personal request of the Queen.
It's proven popular with younger members of the family before - in 1982, Princess Diana wore the choker and Kate Middleton wore it for the funeral of Prince Philip.
26. Empress Marie Feodorovna’s Sapphire and Pearl Choker
One of Princess Anne's most standout pieces, this remarkable choker consists of four rows of pearls interspersed by 20 diamond bars, with an angular sapphire and diamond clasp.
The Sapphire Choker originates with Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia.
The Empress was pictured wearing the choker with her sisters in the 1890s, and it was one of the few jewels she managed to escape with from Russia. After her death in 1928, Queen Mary bought the choker for what is expected to be around £400,000 in today's money.
After Queen Mary’s death in 1953, Empress Maria Feodorovna’s Sapphire Choker was inherited by Queen Elizabeth II and was worn only a few times in the 1950s as a choker and also as a bracelet - as the versatile piece can be customised into two bracelets.
The late Queen would give it to her daughter, Anne, who would wear the choker on important occasions like her 50th birthday and Prince William's 2011 wedding gala.
27. Queen Ena’s Diamond Riviere
Part of the Spanish royal family’s grandest jewellery collection, the joyas de pasar – which translates to passing jewels - the necklace is one of the most standout pieces.
First belonging to Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg - sometimes known by history as Ena -the diamond collet necklace was described in the Queen's will as “el collar de chatones más grande” (the largest chaton necklace).
The necklace was a wedding gift from her husband, King Alfonso XIII and has an estimated value of around £15M.
28. The Queen Mother's Coronation Necklace
The Queen Mother got to wear a historic artefact on the day of her husband's coronation - the traditional Coronation Necklace - but she also added her own flair.
King George VI gifted his wife with an additional necklace, an antique diamond collet necklace. The piece consisted of 40 collet-set diamonds, making it much longer than Queen Victoria's Coronation Necklace which would be worn by her daughter in 1952.
She wore both necklaces again for her official coronation portrait, completed in 1938 by Gerald Kelly.
29. The Crown Ruby Necklace
This gorgeous necklace - worn repeatedly by the late Queen Elizabeth II - originally dates back to the 1850s.
It was another Garrard creation and was presented to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as part of a parure of jewels originally set with diamonds and opals. The pieces were purchased to coordinate with Queen Victoria’s Indian Circlet.
When the suite passed to Queen Alexandra, she had the opals replaced with rubies in 1902. The rubies in this necklace were taken from a ruby necklace given to Queen Victoria by Sir Jung Bahadoor in 1876.
30. Princess Diana’s Sapphire And Pearl Choker Necklace
One of the most recognisable and regal pieces presented to Princess Diana, the extravagant sapphire and diamond choker was a wedding gift from the Queen Mother.
In the book, The Royal Jewels, fashion historian Suzy Menkes described the iconic piece as a "duck egg of a sapphire, surrounded by a double row of diamonds and mounted as a brooch."
Many fans will remember Diana wearing this to a now iconic moment - when she danced around the White House with Grease star John Travolta.
31. Queen Mary’s Emerald Choker
Dating back to 1911, this iconic piece has an estimated value of £15.8 million.
It’s part of the Delhi Durbar Parure, a set of jewels collected by Queen Mary at the time of the Delhi Durbar in December 1911. Queen Mary had the necklace renovated by Garrard. The original version of the choker was called the Ladies of India Necklace. It was reimagined as an Art Deco-style choker necklace featuring the original diamonds and emeralds placed in a new platinum setting.
It was perhaps made most famous when it came into the possession of Princess Diana, who wore it as both a choker and as a headband. After being missing from public appearances for a few years, fans loved it when Kate Middleton brought back the timeless necklace for Prince William's Earthshot Awards in 2022.
32. The Coronation Necklace
Worn by the Queen Mother, the late Queen Elizabeth and Queen Camilla for the past three coronations, this necklace was originally created for Queen Victoria in 1858.
It's made of a total of 26 diamonds, which all highlight the focal stone - a 22.48 carat diamond pendant known as the Lahore Diamond. Nine of the large collet-set diamonds in the necklace were taken from historic sources too, including a Garter badge and a sword hilt.
The necklace has an estimated value of £72,000.
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