Edward VIII praises Queen Elizabeth II's reign in 1969
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The Queen is known for her brightly coloured outfits, which are almost always accessorised with one of her valuable brooches. Many of Her Majesty’s brooches have deeper meanings, with some representing either Britain’s relationship with another country or an event in the Queen’s life. The Canadian Snowflake brooch does both.
Her Majesty not only has a vast brooch collection, but it is also one of the most impressive selections in the world.
It is thought that the monarch has up to around 100 brooches, with special ones on regular rotation.
Charlotte White, Head of Design at 77 Diamonds, Europe’s largest online jeweller, commented on the Queen’s much-loved jewels.
She said: “The Queen’s spectacular and extensive collection of brooches spans world-record breaking, historical and sentimental pieces.
“There are several priceless brooches owned by the Queen that are steeped in history and you could say these jewels attest to the sheer wealth and power of the British monarchy.”
Some of Her Majesty’s brooches date back to before Elizabeth was born, while others were given as gifts to the Queen in recent years.
One from the latter category is the Canadian Snowflake brooch.
This precious jewel features diamonds and pale blue sapphires shaped similar to a snowflake.
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Although the brooch looks like a snowflake, it is merely inspired by its shape since real snowflakes have a six-fold symmetry, and the brooch does not.
The sapphires surround a large diamond at the centre of the brooch.
These pale blue gems were discovered in 2002 on Baffin Island, Canada’s largest island, by brothers Seemeega and Nowdluk Aqpik.
The brooch was given to Her Majesty to celebrate her Sapphire Jubilee, making it a very fitting gift on such an occasion.
The Sapphire Jubilee took place in 2017, marking 65 years since Elizabeth became Queen.
The brooch was given to Her Majesty as a gift by Canadian Governor General David Johnston on behalf of the north American country.
Made by Canadian firm Hillberg and Berk, the snowflake brooch was designed as a companion to another of Her Majesty’s valuable brooches: the Diamond Maple Leaf Brooch.
Both brooches represent Canada, but they also symbolise the natural world.
The Queen has many brooches in the shape of flora and fauna, including the New Zealand Silver Fern brooch and the Australian Wattle brooch.
Her Majesty wore the Canadian Snowflake brooch for the first time publicly in July 2018, during an audience with King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium at Windsor Castle.
For the occasion, Queen Elizabeth donned the brooch with a blue and white floral dress.
The outfit was another example of how Her Majesty often matches her accessories with her clothes, ensuring that the colours are either the same or complement each other.
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