Queen Elizabeth exits state coach during 1953 coronation
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The Queen is rarely seen without a brooch on her lapel, usually worn to complement her strikingly bright outfits. But Her Majesty’s brooches are more than just pieces of beautiful jewellery: they symbolise deeper meanings and reveal significant aspects of the Queen’s life.
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.”
Many of Her Majesty’s brooches date back to before Elizabeth was born, and one of these includes the True Lover’s Knot brooch.
Set in silver, the brooch is in the shape of a large bow containing hundreds of tiny diamonds.
At the bow’s centre is a bigger diamond surrounded by smaller ones.
The brooch was given to Elizabeth by her grandmother, Queen Mary.
The jewel therefore dates to the nineteenth century.
It was acquired by Mary from Garrard in 1932, according to The Court Jeweller.
A portrait painted of Mary – by Sir Oswald Birley in 1934 – depicted the Queen wearing the brooch, as well as diamond earrings and a diamond choker necklace.
That necklace is now worn as a bracelet by the Duchess of Cambridge, demonstrating how many of the Royal Family’s most valuable jewels are passed down the generations.
Elizabeth inherited the brooch from Queen Mary when she died in 1953.
Since then, Her Majesty has worn the piece to several royal engagements.
Most notably, she donned the brooch to two important weddings – the union of her sister Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, and the joining of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.
Both ceremonies took place at Westminster Abbey.
The True Lover’s Knot was the perfect brooch to wear for the special occasions, as the bow’s tie at its centre symbolises the connection between two people in love.
Elizabeth also wore the brooch to record her annual Christmas message in 1960.
Other events where the brooch was seen include a dinner at the British embassy in Paris with President Pompidou of France in 1972, and a meeting with President Mitterrand of France at the French embassy in London in 1984.
Additionally, Her Majesty donned the brooch to a state banquet attended by Emperor Akihito of Japan at Buckingham Palace in 1998.
The Queen also wore the beautiful brooch to another banquet, in honour of President Mbeki of South Africa, at Windsor Castle in 2001.
In 2007, Elizabeth had on the brooch, as well as her diamond earrings, for a state dinner at the White House in Washington, D.C.
The brooch’s eye-catching design, as well as its impressive-looking gems, therefore makes it a fitting option when meeting global heads of state.
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