20 Brooches that once shone on the look of royal women and the story behind each one

If there’s one thing that sets the members of the British royal family apart, it’s the way they wear luxurious and shiny accessories, which are part of their routine. And in many cases, there are those who think that the jewelry displayed by royal women is just to beautify the look, but brooches do not fall into that category. They are more than mere decorations, as such objects have meanings or origins that can be as important as the title held by the monarch and her family, also indicating the obligations that royalty has towards society.

we, from awesome.clubwe are not oblivious to the brilliance of royal brooches, so we decided to introduce you to some of those who have already appeared at public events in the clothes of Queen Elizabeth II and other ladies of the UK monarchy.

As revealed by jewelry expert Vincent Meylan, this brooch with a large turquoise pearl surrounded by several diamonds was a wedding gift that Maria de Teck received in 1893. She kept the piece until her death in 1953, when the brooch passed at hands of Queen Elizabeth II. In 2014, the monarch appeared in public with the accessory for the first time, and the piece was seen again during a message addressed to the British people in April 2020.

The piece is believed to have originated in 1866, when the future King Edward VII and Alexandra, sister of Maria Feodorovna, gave her a sapphire brooch with diamonds and a drop pearl. The reason was her marriage to Alexander III of Russia. Subsequently, the jewel passed into the hands of Maria’s daughters, being later acquired at an auction by Maria, grandmother of Elizabeth II, making the current queen inherit it. The monarch wore the piece during her silver jubilee in 1977. In 2020, the sovereign posed with the brooch alongside Princes Charles, William and George, the first in line to the throne.

The jewel was one of the most iconic displayed by Princess Diana. It represents the three feathers of the Prince of Wales, with diamonds creating an oval shape. The piece is believed to have been originally created as a brooch for Princess Alexandra in 1863 as a wedding gift. Lady Di won the Queen Mother’s accessory in 1981, turning it into a necklace. Today, it is in the possession of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who returned the brooch to its original use.

The origin of the brooch dates back to 1840, when Prince Albert secretly commissioned Garrard to create a sapphire brooch with diamonds around it. It was a gift to his wife, Queen Victoria, on the eve of their wedding. The sovereign used the accessory on several occasions, notably on birthdays. Today, the jewel is in the possession of Queen Elizabeth II, who has also appeared in public wearing it. One such occasion was the christening of Prince William in 1982.

As with the sapphire brooch Prince Albert gave Victoria before her wedding, this beautiful piece, made up of three bows adorned with different-sized diamonds, was created by Garrard in 1858. The jewelry store revealed that Victoria wore two or three of them in their clothes. The same brooch was seen being worn by Elizabeth II on September 9, 2015, the day she established herself as the longest-reigning monarch in British royal history.

The royal family can boast of having a diamond version of the plant that is the symbol of the country of Oceania. According to a study carried out with the historical archives, the brooch was a Christmas gift that Queen Elizabeth II received in 1953 from the hands of lady Allum, wife of sir John Allum, then Mayor of the City of Auckland. Since then, both the monarch and the Duchess of Cambridge have displayed the jewel when they participate in an event linked to New Zealand, such as official visits.

This brooch features a heart-shaped cut gemstone, a small part of a huge diamond extracted from a mine in South Africa in 1905, whose value exceeded three thousand carats. The jewel was owned by Maria de Teck, grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II. And today, it is in the sovereign’s hands. She even wore it during London Fashion Week in 2018, and when celebrating Prince Philip’s 99th birthday in 2020.

The original Cullinan diamond is estimated to have been cut into 105 pieces. Two of the fragments are in this jewel, which was also owned by Maria de Teck, joined together like a brooch. The Cullinan III is teardrop-shaped and weighs approximately 94 carats. The 63-carat Cullinan IV was cut into a square. In 1958, Queen Elizabeth II appeared in public with them for the first time, during her visit to the Netherlands. Sixty years later, the jewels returned to the same location, this time on the occasion of a state dinner.

This diamond brooch with a crown and the acronyms of the British Royal Air Force was made in 1982 by Elizabeth Dacre. It was presented each year as a way of honoring the best female cadet, being the highest honor that could be received. In breaking with tradition, Kate Middleton is believed to have received the gem in 2015 when she was designated an honorary commander of the air. The Duchess often exhibits the piece at RAF-related events, such as in 2018, during the regiment’s centenary celebrations.

Another jewel that Queen Elizabeth II inherited from her grandmother, Queen Mary. The brooch is very striking, for two reasons: the first is its arched shape with diamond inlays on the hanging parts, which makes it attract all eyes; the second reason is the fact that it was chosen by the monarch to wear at her sister’s wedding, Princess Margaret, in 1960. The same piece was part of the look displayed by the Queen at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.

The gold brooch, which features the silhouette of two dolphins, an anchor and a crown at the top, was developed in 1972 by the Royal Navy, serving to identify highly qualified submarine service personnel to perform their respective functions. According to written by reporter Richard Palmer, the Navy presented the insignia to the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore it during the parade held on the River Thames in celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

In 1953, Queen Elizabeth II received from the Brazilian government a set of jewels in aquamarine that referred to her coronation. As she was very fond of this gemstone, later the monarch received a tiara and, finally, this brooch, which has a large aquamarine and small glittering stones. The piece was admired during the Royal Ascot 2012, as we can see in the image above.

A jeweler’s account pointed out that the piece was originally created as a double sheet, for the wife of an English businessman. Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was so enchanted by the brooch that the owner dismembered it into several pieces, giving one of them to the royal member. Since then, both Queen Elizabeth II and Kate Middleton and Camila from Cornwall have already used it on trips to Canada, or at an event linked to the country in North America.

The brooch was a gift that the City of London gave the Queen in 1947, the year in which she received the “Liberty of the City” honor, the highest honor bestowed by the capital of England. Since then, His Majesty has taken the brooch with him when he attends open-air celebrations in favorable weather, the Royal Ascot the monarch’s favorite event to display it. Australian residents also had the chance to see the accessory making up the look of the queen during her visit to the country in 2011.

according to the book The Queen’s Jewels, by Leslie Fields, and quoted by the media, this brooch of Queen Elizabeth II was presented by an aristocrat named lady Jardine, in 1981. The design consists of an eight-pointed star, with diamonds between each of them and a small set of gemstones in the middle. In recent years, the monarch has frequently worn the piece at events such as the Chelsea Flower Festival and the Royal Ascot🇧🇷 The queen also wore the same accessory in her 2017 Christmas message.

One of the most recent brooches received by the royal family is in the possession of the Duchess of Cornwall. In 2020, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, officiated Camilla as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Infantry Regiment. The Rifles, as its substitute in the activities. Later, he was given a decoration, used by members of the regiment, known as the cap insignia, formed by a horn-shaped horn, plated in silver.

The Order of the Royal Family is a distinction dating back to the 19th century, through which the monarch of the United Kingdom honors women of royalty. Since her accession to the throne in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II has bestowed honours, including a symbolic insignia that features a portrait of the sovereign surrounded by diamonds and a Tudor crown, attached to a yellow silk bow. The Queen Mother, Princess Anne, Diana of Wales, Kate of Cambridge and Camilla of Cornwall are some of the ladies who have already worn the piece.

It is very likely that this piece was of considerable sentimental value to Elizabeth II. Its history begins in 2000, when the monarch herself ordered a gift from the jeweler G. Collins & Sons for the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday. The result was a brooch cut in rock crystal, with a hand-painted rose and 100 diamonds around it. The gem has already been admired at parties in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, state visits and in the celebration of the 75th anniversary of “D-Day”, in 2019.

Currently, Kate Middleton keeps the piece, in the form of a clover with golden tones and an emerald in the middle. The Duchess often wears the accessory at events linked to Irish culture, such as St Patrick’s Day. According to author James Wilson’s account, in 1961, the Irish Guards regiment gave the brooch to Princess Mary, Princess Royal. Among the family members who have worn the shamrock were the Queen Mother and Princess Anne.

Another brooch that can be considered a special part…