Queen to be interred wearing wedding band and precious pair of pearl earrings
19 September 2022, 09:56 | Updated: 19 September 2022, 10:06
The Queen will be laid to rest today wearing only two precious pieces of jewellery.
Her Majesty, who will be buried next to her husband Prince Philip later today, will wear only her wedding band and a pair of pearl earrings, despite owning a collection worth millions of pounds.
She has been lying in state since Wednesday with millions of pounds of jewels, including the imperial state crown, which is officially priceless but thought to be worth up to £5 billion.
The Queen's final outfit has not yet been revealed, but observers last week speculated she could be laid to rest in a simple, regal set of clothes befitting her status.
Others suggested the UK's longest reigning monarch could break with tradition and wear clothes she wore during while she was off duty, such as a pair of waterproofs and a headscarf.
Read more: Live: Nation prepares for Queen Elizabeth's final farewell as mourners descend on London
The Queen's burial jewels were revealed last week by Lisa Levinson of the Natural Diamond Council.
Ms Levinson told the Metro that the monarch would likely not even wear her engagement ring.
The ring, which has a total of eleven diamonds on it, is expected to be given to the Queen's daughter Princess Anne.
"Her Majesty is an incredibly humble woman at heart who is unlikely to be dressed in anything but her simple Welsh gold wedding band to rest and a pair of pearl earrings," Ms Levinson said.
"The young Prince Philip was closely involved in the design of Elizabeth’s engagement ring, which is set in platinum and has eleven natural diamonds – a three-carat round solitaire diamond, and five smaller stones set on each side."
The Queen has a private jewellery collection worth millions of pounds.
It is thought to include nearly 100 broaches as well as 46 necklaces, 34 pairs of earrings, 15 ring and 14 watches.
Read more: Full order of service for Her Majesty the Queen's state funeral
Crowds of mourners have flocked to London, Windsor and royal sites throughout the UK on the national bank holiday, with the service set to draw millions of TV viewers across the globe.
The royal family, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, will be among the 2,000 people gathered at Westminster Abbey to remember the late monarch on Monday morning, before a committal service at Windsor Castle.Play Video
Military personnel prepare for Queen's state funeral procession.
They will walk in procession behind the Queen's coffin as it is carried through the Gothic church by the military bearer party.
The King and the Queen Consort will walk immediately behind the coffin, followed by the Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the Duke of York, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Ahead of the funeral, thousands of people queued through central London to visit her coffin in Westminster Hall.
