Garden party season is in full swing at Buckingham Palace! On Wednesday, Queen Camilla brought out one of Queen Elizabeth II’s very favorite brooches, a sparkling diamond star, to attend the latest party at the palace.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla were on hand at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday to host a garden party. The event was supported by the Department of Education to recognize people working in education and skills.
King Charles III wore a morning suit with an umbrella and top hat for the party. The pool photographer at the event, the excellent Aaron Chown, brought us some spectacular close-ups of royal jewelry pieces worn for the garden party. Here, you’ll be able to clearly see that the King wore a tie pin, set with diamonds, rubies, and enamel, featuring the cypher of his beloved grandfather, King George VI. He used the pin to secure a cheeky tie festooned with cartoon submarines.
Queen Camilla wore a favorite white ensemble for the party with her favorite diamond and pearl drop earrings, her gold necklace engraved with her grandchildren’s initials, and a fabulous antique brooch that belonged to Queen Elizabeth II.
How’s this for a great close-up? This is the Jardine Star Brooch, a nineteenth-century jewel that was particularly treasured by the late Queen Elizabeth II. The brooch arrived in her collection in the 1980s, reportedly as a bequest from a Lady Jardine, and she wore it regularly for the rest of her life.
The design motif was a popular one at the end of the Victorian era, and many similar examples exist in other jewelry collections. Princess Anne has a very similar star brooch, and even I have a little miniature version, which I wore for my recent visit to the King’s Gallery.
The brooch was a companion of the late Queen into the last years of her reign. I particularly love this outing from Royal Ascot in June 2019, when Elizabeth pinned the diamond star to a raspberry-pink coat.
The garden party outing was Queen Camilla’s second public appearance in the Jardine Star. Last year, she wore the brooch for the first time on day four of Royal Ascot, pairing it with a light blue ensemble.
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