Queen Elizabeth II: Dame Joan Collins pays tribute to monarch
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From her go-to pearl necklaces to her rare diamond tiaras, Her Majesty had impeccable jewellery taste. But her most loved item, which she was rarely seen without pinned to her lapel, was a brooch.
Her Majesty not only had a vast brooch collection, but it was also one of the most impressive selections in the world.
It is thought that the monarch had up to around 100 brooches, with special ones on regular rotation.
Express.co.uk has looked back at Her Majesty best and most iconic brooches.
All the Queen’s brooches had significant meanings, but the Scarab Brooch might have been her most sentimental jewel.
The Scarab Brooch was extremely important and personal to the Queen since it was given to her as a gift in 1996 by her late husband, Prince Philip.
The brooch features a ruby at its centre, clad in gold and surrounded by smaller rubies and diamonds.
The stunning piece was designed by Andrew Grima and the Queen continued to wear it for years after receiving it.
Her Majesty even wore the brooch for her and the Duke of Edinburgh’s official platinum anniversary portrait in 2017.
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Charlotte White, Head of Design at 77 Diamonds, Europe’s largest online jeweller, commented on the Queen’s impressive brooch collection. She said: “The Queen’s spectacular and extensive collection of brooches spans world-record breaking, historical and sentimental pieces.
“There are several priceless brooches owned by the Queen that are steeped in history and you could say these jewels attest to the sheer wealth and power of the British monarchy.”
One of these historical brooches is the Cullinan V Heart Brooch.
It was one of Her Majesty’s best brooches not only because the Queen wore it when she made a surprise appearance on the front row at London Fashion Week in 2018, but also because it is made from a gemstone which marked the world’s most important diamond discovery.
The Cullinan was found in a South African diamond mine in 1905 and remains the largest rough diamond ever discovered by Western archaeologists, weighting 3,107 carats.
The Queen had three Cullinan brooches, which were passed down to her from her grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1953.
The Cullinan V brooch features a heart-shaped diamond set in a platinum frame and surrounded by smaller diamonds.
Her Majesty wore the brooch for an official portrait to celebrate the Duke of Edinburgh’s 99th birthday, taken a few months before his death.
Jewellery expert Charlotte noted that another of the Queen’s “most sentimental brooches” was the Six Petal Diamond Flower brooch.
Composed of six petals encrusted with diamonds and surrounding a larger singular diamond, the brooch was given to Elizabeth by Buckingham Palace staff on her 21st birthday when she was still a Princess.
A few months after receiving the gift, Elizabeth wore the brooch when announcing her engagement to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten.
Another of the Queen’s best brooches, which was also one of her most colourful, was the Flower Basket brooch.
This jewel was given to Her Majesty by her parents in 1949 to celebrate the birth of her first child and heir, Prince Charles.
The Queen wore the brooch on numerous occasions in her life, including for the christening of her first great-grandchild, Prince George, in 2013.
Charlotte Leigh, jewellery expert at Lottie Leigh Fine Jewellery, told Express.co.uk that this special jewel was worn by the Queen to “symbolise the succession of the royal generations”.
She added: “Due to the array of colours in this brooch, it complimented most outfits, and the Queen wore it with much pride.”
Queen Elizabeth II donned many more of her favourite brooches on regular occasions, and others that stood out in her collection include the New Zealand Silver Fern brooch, the sapphire and diamond Prince Albert brooch, the Canadian Maple Leaf brooch, and the Richmond brooch.
The latter will be remembered as the brooch Her Majesty wore to her husband, Prince Philip’s, funeral in April 2021.
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