Royal Fans Furious as Camilla Turns Diana’s Iconic Necklace into a Brooch: ‘Has She No Shame…’
Queen Camilla and the late Princess Diana didn't see eye-to-eye, to say the least, as they fought over then-Prince Charles' affection. After Diana’s tragic demise, a cherished necklace gifted to her by the Queen Mother was returned to the royal collection as per tradition. In around 2012, Camilla quietly borrowed the necklace and refashioned it into a brooch.
As reported by InStyle, Camilla’s refashioned brooch features four carats of white diamonds set in 18 individual stones. It’s topped with a three-carat cabochon-cut green emerald pendant and adorned with three diamond-encrusted ostrich feathers, the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales, a title Charles held before ascending the throne in 2022. As for Diana, she wore the original necklace to a gala dinner at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto in 1991. She also paired it with a sparkly emerald dress in 1986 at the Vienna Burgtheater. Camilla has worn her version of the brooch at several public events, including the 2015 Trooping the Color, the late Queen's reception in 2019, and the Cheltenham Festival in 2012. The team at Steven Stone estimates the brooch to be worth around $137,000 today.
As news of Canilla's decision to re-purpose the necklace broke recently, royal fans slammed the Queen Consort, accusing her of disrespecting the late Princess by altering the treasured heirloom. Taking to Facebook, a royal watcher commented, "I thought that Diana's jewelry was off limits to Camilla! Not to mention Queen Elizabeth's jewelry as well." Another echoed, "She’s still crazy for wanting to wear it." However, one reasoned, "If Jewels belong to The Crown and not a personal item, then she can wear or do what she likes, she is part of the royal family now and 'Queen.'" As per Showbiz CheatSheet, a netizen also opined that it’s was in 'poor taste'. Another agreed, "Not really too comfortable with that… to be honest!!" A critic further slammed, "Why is this mistress even allowed to touch Diana’s stuff?!" A fan fumed, "Has she no shame?"
Commenting on the same, jewelry expert Maxwell Stone told InStyle, "Once worn as a necklace by Princess Diana, the piece carries not only aesthetic brilliance, but deep royal significance. What makes it particularly meaningful is its symbolic connection to King Charles—shared by both Diana and Queen Camilla." He added, "The transformation of the necklace into a brooch likely has minimal impact on its value, especially if the redesign was recent and expertly executed." However, he did admit that it might be valued "more had it remained in its original necklace form." The jewel’s origins date back to 1863, when it was first owned by Queen Alexandra. The refashioned brooch has also been worn previously by Kate Middleton.