As the saying goes, heavy is the head that wears the crown. But as it happens, the intricacies of who is allowed to wear which tiara are a complicated one, and it falls on the head of Queen Elizabeth to decide. Because as with everything that has to do with the royal family, there are rules and regulations for their design and use.

The sparkling headgear historically means the royal ancestry, S.Tatus and tradition, but no matter how extravagant or elaborate their design and use, follow some simple rules: They do not completely enclose the head like a crown. Typically, the royal tiaras appear on the heads of Queen Elizabeth’s family members because she loaned them to them for special occasions.

A few more rules: no tiaras before 6 p.m., except for daytime weddings. Another rule: Nobody is allowed to wear a tiara until they are a member of the familyor if you are born into the family until you are married.

Unfortunately, there is no specific information about why or what the Queen lends to her family members, but there is certainly a special meaning behind every decision.

Of course, a lot goes into making jewelery and tiara distribution decisions – but without a statement from the Queen, her decisions about who wears her gemstone and jeweled headgear are certainly fascinating. Keep scrolling to take a look at the tiaras Queen Elizabeth has passed on over the years.

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