In 1911, Princess Louise and her family were sailing to Egypt when their ship encountered a storm off the coast of Morocco. The family survived, but according to legend, Princess Louise’s chest filled with valuable jewels fell into the sea. The jewels were never recovered, and this loss has become one of the mysterious legends of the British crown jewels.

When Princess Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, she opted not to wear the tiara suggested by Queen Elizabeth, instead choosing the Poltimore Tiara, inherited from Queen Mary. This tiara, made in the 1870s, was purchased at auction by Margaret before her wedding.

On Queen Elizabeth’s wedding day, a small mishap became part of royal history. On November 20, 1947, when Princess Elizabeth was preparing to marry Prince Philip, the “Fringe Tiara” belonging to her mother was chosen for the event. However, the tiara’s frame broke just before the ceremony! It was immediately sent to a jeweler for repairs and was returned just in time for the wedding. Despite the small scare, Elizabeth wore the tiara gracefully, and this incident has since become a memorable part of her wedding story.

Queen Alexandra, in the late 19th century, was fond of large and impressive pearls. Surprisingly, however, she often preferred fake pearls over real ones. At the time, real pearls were incredibly rare and expensive, but Alexandra believed that well-made imitation pearls were indistinguishable from the real thing. She was frequently seen wearing long strands of these pearls, which even caused some surprise within the royal family. Fake pearls became a signature part of her elegant style.