I’ve seen a lot of those “nature is healing!” jokes on social media as the world eases out of lockdown, but honestly, it felt like nature really is healing today, because the Queen was back in London for the State Opening of Parliament!
As it has been on previous recent occasions, this was as scaled-back ceremony. The Queen dressed in a daytime ensemble and accessorized with pearls and a brooch rather than grand gala jewels.
The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall accompanied the Queen to the event.
The Imperial State Crown was indeed present at the ceremony, carried before the Queen as she processed into the chamber. The crown was carried by the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Marquess of Cholmondeley.
The Queen wore a sentimental pair of brooches for the occasion: her diamond and aquamarine clips. The brooches, which were made by Boucheron, were the Queen’s birthday gift from her father when she turned 18 in 1944. The clips can be worn separately, as the Queen usually wears them, or joined together as one larger brooch.
The clips made an important appearance in 2020 as well. The Queen wore them for her address to the nation on the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. The use of the brooches on that occasion was a clear reference to King George VI, who was on the throne during the war.
The springtime outfit that the Queen wore to parliament has also been seen previously. Appropriately, she paired the daffodil-themed jacket, dress, and hat with the Diamond Daffodil Brooch for Ladies’ Day at Royal Ascot in June 2019.
In recent years, the Queen has worn brooches for scaled-down State Openings of Parliament on two occasions. In June 2017, a subdued, rescheduled version of the ceremony was held following recent elections. She wore the Cullinan V Brooch for the occasion. (She also wore a hat that many commenters believed was a visual reference to the European Union. The hat was later redesigned.)
In December 2019, the most recent State Opening of Parliament ceremony was held. The Queen also wore the Cullinan V Brooch on that occasion, which was the second ceremony in two months. (A pomp-filled State Opening had been held in October 2019.)
For today’s State Opening, one more royal jewel was in attendance. The Duchess of Cornwall wore pearls and the Queen Mother’s Rock Crystal Brooch, which was a favorite jewel of the then-Duchess of York in the 1920s.
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