Royal Jewels in Cornwall for the G7 Summit

The day began with a joint engagement for the Duchess of Cambridge and the American First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden. The two, who have a shared interest in education, made a visit to Connor Downs Academy, a primary school in Hayle.

For the school visit, Kate wore a pair of gold-plated twist hoop earrings, an affordable jewelry option from ASOS. She previously wore the earrings for the reopening of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London in May.

In the evening, the Queen arrived in Cornwall for a G7 reception at the Eden Project, a special complex that features thousands of plant species cultivated in enclosures that mimic natural biomes. She posed for a group photograph with the other leaders at the summit during the reception. As the photograph was taken, the Queen inspired laughter in her fellow leaders when she joked, “Are you supposed to be looking as if you’re enjoying yourself?”

For her evening in Cornwall, the Queen chose a brooch she’s been wearing since 2007: the Botswana Sorghum Brooch. The gold and diamond jewel was given to her by President Mogae of Botswana. The piece is designed as a delicate sheaf of sorghum, which is Botswana’s main crop.

As is always the case when the Queen meets with world leaders (or when any controversy surrounds the monarchy in the press), commentators have looked hard to find secret symbolism within the Queen’s choice of brooch. I’m sorry to disappoint those who want to look for hidden meaning, but I’d wager that this brooch was chosen for two innocuous reasons: because it coordinated well with her dress, which featured a grass and flower print, and because a brooch with a natural design was particularly appropriate for the Eden Project setting. (The brooch’s Commonwealth ties do also serve as a quiet reminder in this global conference setting that HM is both the Queen and the Head of the Commonwealth of Nations.)

The Queen often wears this piece at events not directly linked to Botswana or the Commonwealth; its relatively simple floral design means that it’s easy to wear for a range of occasions, especially in the spring and summer. (It made a memorable appearance, for example, at the Royal Maundy Service in 2017. She’s also worn it at Royal Ascot, and for a 2014 French state visit.) We got a nice close-up view of the brooch from the evening’s engagements. This angle shows the largest pear-shaped diamond in the brooch particularly well.

The Queen was joined by the Prince of Wales (who is, of course, also the Duke of Cornwall) and the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, for the G7 reception.

Camilla wore a necklace with pavé-set beads and gold spacers for the reception, layering it with some of her favorite delicate necklaces (notably her Golden Kiwi Necklace). She also wore her favorite diamond and pearl drop earrings.

Kate wore a pair of earrings from Robinson Pelham, the designer of her diamond wedding earrings. These large, airy diamond statement earrings were previously worn during the Cambridges’ trip to Sweden in 2018.

Kate also wore the three-stranded pearl bracelet that belonged to her late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales. The bracelet was made by Nigel Milne in 1988 as part of a collection supporting Birthright (now Wellbeing of Women), a charity for which Diana served as patron.

After the G7 reception, the Queen and the two duchesses attended an event celebrating The Big Lunch, one of Camilla’s patronages. The Big Lunch is an Eden Project initiative, designed to give people a chance to make connections within their communities. For a cake-cutting as part of the event, the Queen insisted on borrowing a sword from the Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall. When slicing the cake with the sword proved difficult, HM declined the offer of a knife, quipping, “This is more unusual!” Camilla lent a hand, and the two finished cutting the cake with a flourish and a laugh.