Camilla Brings Back $65K Heirloom in Quiet Tribute to Queen Elizabeth — See Photos
Camilla’s Thoughtful Nod
Queen Camilla once again proved her mastery of timeless royal style at Buckingham Palace’s third garden party of the season. The Queen personified elegance and grace like no other. Channelling her inner Holly Golightly, the Queen wore a black-and-white midi dress from her favorite designer, Anna Valentine, but it was her choice of jewelry that really stood out.
Timeless Jewels
To mark the garden party, Camilla opted for a rather simple but daytime-appropriate dress from Valentine and paired it with a Phillip Treacy hat in matching hues. White gloves and classic black pumps added the finishing touches to her polished ensemble. The Queen, while keeping her outfit simple, garnered attention with her Cartier Palm Leaf brooch. The piece not only comes with a staggering price tag but is also a sentimental, generational heirloom belonging to the royal family, originally made for the Queen Mother.
Heritage in Diamonds
The brooch truly captured attention and added a meaningful touch to the occasion. The Cartier Palm Leaf brooch, also known as the paisley brooch, is encrusted with 203 rare diamonds and is reported to have a whopping price tag of £50,000 ($65,000)! The piece was passed down to Queen Elizabeth II and was known to be one of her most prized possessions. With Camilla wearing it to the party, she not only paid tribute to the Queen Mother but also to the late Queen.
Playing Favorites
The brooch features an intricate leaf-pattern diamond setting on a curved platinum palm leaf shape, and also has large diamonds in the center, encircled by drop and navette-cut diamonds. It also creates an illusion of a frond with a series of diamonds directed outwards to enhance the leaf shape. While the late Queen wore the brooch on multiple occasions, ranging from royal weddings and Christmas celebrations to reception parties, it also seems to be one of Camilla’s favorites.
The Power Brooch
Previously, during the Commonwealth Day service earlier this March, the Queen wore the same brooch with her red crepe wool coat and dress designed by Fiona Clare. Pairing the dress with a matching Philip Treacy hat and black capped-toe heels, Camilla let the brooch do the talking. This time, too, she followed the same styling hack.
Sustainable Fashion
While the brooch was the highlight of the look, the dress also seems to be one of Queen Camilla’s favorite pieces. She previously wore the same outfit to the Thanksgiving event last year. She also wore the same outfit when she went to King Charles’ Congress address session during their historic U.S. State visit last month.