As Queen Elizabeth gave a speech commemorating the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, she also paid tribute to her parents by choosing a touching piece of jewellery to wear during her speech.
On her dress, The Queen wore a pair of aquamarine Art Deco brooch clips, which were an 18th birthday present from King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Designed by Boucheron, the clips were presented to the future queen in 1944.
Made of aquamarines and diamond, the two pieces can be worn enclosed, to create a circular brooch, though The Queen typically wears them staggered, like she did in her speech.
The Queen spoke often of her father in her speech. It was even timed to be given at the same hour he gave his speech declaring Victory in Europe. “His message then was a salute to the men and women at home and abroad who had sacrificed so much in pursuit of what he rightly called a ‘great deliverance.’”
King George VI was referenced throughout the day, with Prince Charles delivering a reading on the Clarence House social media accounts of his grandfather’s diary entry from VE Day.
Upon her desk, as she delivered her speech from Windsor Castle, The Queen had placed a photo of her father in uniform and her cap from her Auxiliary Territorial Service uniform. In the background, a photo of the Royal Family—the King and Queen and Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret—and Prime Minister Winston Churchill on the balcony at Buckingham Palace during the VE Day celebrations in 1945.
“As I know reflect on my father’s words and the joyous celebrations, which some of us experienced first-hand, I am thankful for the strength and courage that the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and all our allies displayed.”
Queen Elizabeth is the last living head of state to have served in the Second World War.
