Why the Queen no longer wears the Imperial State Crown for her speech

Today the Queen is giving her annual speech in front of Parliament, and whilst she will be discussing important issues such as Brexit, of course people will be looking at her outfit, specifically whether she has a hidden message within it.

Last year you'll remember she wore a blue hat, which many believed was her way to subtly send pro-EU vibes. Either way, her choice of headgear was significant, as it was the first time she didn't wear the Imperial State Crown.

You'll recognised the traditional diamond crown with a purple velvet insert, which was originally made for King George VI's coronation in 1937, and was inspired by a crown owned by Queen Victoria. It features so many diamonds (over 2,000) as well as sapphires, pearls and emeralds that it is actually priceless.

This year, for the second time, the Queen has opted not to wear it, and it's apparently for purely practical reasons. As you can imagine it's very heavy, and at 93, she might not feel comfortable having that weight on her head for such a long amount of time.

She as instead opted for a seemingly lighter option, which is the George IV diadem. A smaller diamond crown, it dates back to 1820, and was made for Kind George IV, and she wore it to her coronation.

It is said to feature 1,333 diamonds, including a four-carat yellow diamond at the front cross and has two strings of pearls at the base. The diadem also has four bouquets of roses, thistles and shamrocks weaved into it, the floral symbols of England, Scotland and Ireland respectively.