It’s time for a Kenyan shell-abration.
Queen Camilla paid a sparkling tribute to her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, in Kenya Tuesday, wearing a sentimental brooch once belonging to the monarch as she kicked off day one of a royal tour to the country with King Charles III.
Camilla, 76, wore a shell-shaped diamond-and-pearl brooch that once belonged to Queen Elizabeth for the start of their five-day trip to Africa, and along with being a sentimental nod to the late royal, her choice of brooch also has a deeper meaning.
Kenya is where Princess Elizabeth — who was visiting the country with her husband, Prince Philip in February 1952— received the news that her father, King George VI, had died, making her queen.
The piece is known as the Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell Brooch, with The Court Jeweller noting that it was “designed in part by Sir Courtauld Thomson, who was the son of a famous Scottish inventor” in 1919.
Maxwell Stone, creative director of Steven Stone jewelers, tells Pvnew Style that the glittering brooch was then left to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, “by Courtauld-Thomson’s sister, Winifred Hope Thomson.”
The Queen Mother wore the piece regularly, “most notably during her 100th birthday celebrations in 2000,” per Stone.
After her 2002 death, the diamond brooch was then passed down to Elizabeth’s daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, who wore the piece on many occasions such as her granddaughter, Zara Tindall’s, 2011 wedding and her 2020 televised Christmas speech.
Calling it “one of the late monarch’s most valuable brooches,” the jewelry pro said he would “estimate the sea-life-inspired brooch to be worth £30,000 ($36,000).”
As for Camilla, she pinned the pearly piece to a white Anna Valentine dress for her visit to Kenya, pairing it with pearl drop earrings and two-toned heels as she joined her husband for a ceremonial welcome at the State House in Nairobi.
She changed into another look for an elegant state banquet hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto Tuesday night, wearing a sparkling baby blue tunic and loose pants from Anna Valentine along with some more sentimental jewels.
For the evening event, she chose a diamond elephant bracelet and the Van Cleef & Arpels diamond serpent necklace she’s worn on several occasions over the years.
While fans widely believed the piece was a gift from the King, Daily Mail journalist Rebecca English tweeted that Camilla’s snake design “belonged to her adored grandmother.”
This is the second time in recent days Camilla has honored her mother-in-law by wearing her jewelry; she brought out Queen Elizabeth’s favorite tiara for the first time while attending a dinner earlier this month.
Watch this space for more royal fashion fun as the King and Queen’s Kenyan tour continues this week.
