Queen Camilla pulled a Kate Middleton move as she re-wore an outfit from the 2024 Royal Ascot, complete with a 132-year-old royal heirloom, to Buckingham Palace’s first garden party of 2025. The heirloom in question, Queen Mary’s turquoise and diamond brooch, was gifted to the monarch in 1893 and frequently worn by Queen Elizabeth II in her later years—including during her historic pandemic address in 2020.
It has been a busy week for the royal family, with an unexpected appearance from the Waleses on VE Day, the unveiling of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s official Coronation portraits, and now Buckingham Palace’s first garden party of the season. Just hours after wearing a poppy red dress accessorized with one of Queen Elizabeth’s rarely-seen brooches, Camilla once again paid homage to the late monarch by showcasing the heirloom jewel.
As she and King Charles welcomed more than 30,000 guests to the May 7 event, Queen Camilla appeared in a teal dress with a white lace top peeking from beneath the neckline, the same outfit she wore at Royal Ascot in June 2024, right down to the matching statement hat. Completing the look was Queen Mary’s turquoise brooch, pinned neatly to her lapel.
According to The Crown Chronicles, the turquoise and diamond brooch is estimated to be worth around $45,000. It was originally gifted to Princess Mary on her wedding day by King Edward and Queen Alexandra, and in recent decades became one of Queen Elizabeth II’s most recognizable pieces. The late queen often wore it for special occasions, including the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2021.
For Camilla, this marked only the second public outing with the piece, the first being her Royal Ascot appearance alongside Prince William in June 2024. Her styling choice suggests she has been taking inspiration from Queen Elizabeth’s collection, incorporating meaningful heirlooms into her own public wardrobe. Just a day earlier, on May 6, she had unveiled the Coronation portraits at the National Gallery while wearing another of Elizabeth’s favorites—the diamond and topaz Raspberry Pip brooch.
By reintroducing these historic jewels while rewearing her elegant ensembles, Queen Camilla is subtly echoing the style philosophy long embraced by the Princess of Wales: pairing timeless fashion choices with symbolic nods to the monarchy’s history.
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