The Queen has chosen an intriguing piece of jewellery for the official portraits marking her twentieth wedding anniversary.
Queen Camilla wore a brooch created to look like lily of the valley for the photos which were captured by Chris Getty in Rome soon after Her Majesty touched down there with The King ahead of their State Visit to Italy.
The gem originally belonged to The Queen Mother and was designed to resemble the pretty bloom which, in the language of flowers, symbolises marital happiness.
So far, so very appropriate for a wedding anniversary. But this jewel brings a note of controversy with it. For it was presented to The Queen Mother by the Russian leader, Nikita Krushchev.
The brooch was given in 1956 when Krushchev made a visit to London. The Queen Mother didn’t wear it in public but Queen Camilla used it fairly frequently in the early years of her royal career and chose it for the wedding of her daughter, Laura, in 2006.
It is a very suitable choice for all things wedding related as lily of the valley is one of the most popular flowers in wedding bouquets, especially royal ones. In the language of flowers, so beloved by Queen Victoria, it is taken as a sign of a contented marriage and also means a return to joy.
This brooch was created by Faberge so it packs plenty of jewellery punch.
Now, it is the gem chosen by a queen to mark a very special wedding anniversary during a very important diplomatic visit.
