Queen Camilla has followed one style lead of her mother in law, Queen Elizabeth II, with devotion. Her Majesty is very fond of that rather regal accessory, the brooch. And her latest pick has cemented the place of a rather unusual jewel as a modern royal favourite.
A visit to Ascot saw Queen Camilla wear an appropriately shaped horseshoe brooch. This particular gem has proven to be something of a go to for The Queen in recent years.
There are plenty of reasons why this has become a favoured brooch. Queen Camilla’s love of horses is well known and she is patron of a range of equestrian organisations – this latest Ascot visit included support for the Ebony Horse Club which provides opportunities for disadvantaged young people in Lambeth in London.
The brooch also features one of The Queen’s favoured colour schemes. Queen Camilla is a fan of the very patriotic red, white and blue – it featured heavily in the designs around her Coronation and she has favoured the trio of colours for years. This horseshoe brooch is made of rubies, diamonds and sapphires – about as royal a version of red, white and blue as you can get.
But the jewel also has a rather significant royal history. It was made in 1909 after King Edward VII’s horse, Minoru, won the Epsom Derby. He was the first British monarch to claim this sporting achievement and he was rather happy about it. After the win he commissioned gems to mark the moment and this brooch traces its roots to that jewellery splurge.
Look close up and you’ll see that the diamonds in this dazzler are used to spell out ‘Minoru’. The horse’s name comes from a Japanese word meaning ”to bear fruit” or ‘bountiful’ and it’s thought that Edward VII had the brooch made to bring good fortune to its wearer.
Queen Camilla has worn the piece often, giving it a new royal chapter over a century after it was made as a good luck piece.
