Queen Camilla made her way across the Irish Sea from the Isle of Man to Belfast on Wednesday, and on Thursday she wore a trio of lovely royal brooches for her visit to Northern Ireland.
Queen Camilla began her day in Belfast on Thursday with a stroll down Lisburn Road. There, she met with members of the community, including small business owners and students. Here, she’s greeted by Claire Hanna, the local MP.
Philip Armstrong, one of the owners of Coffey’s Butchers, chatted to the Queen about the nature of running a family business. The staff also gave her a gift of vegetable rolls and beef sausages, and Camilla noted that the present would be gratefully enjoyed back in England: “I shall take these back for my husband, he will make the most of them.”
Among her other stops on the street was Knotts Bakery, where little Fitz Corrie, the one-year-old son of the owner, stole the show in a very snazzy tuxedo. The Corries also ensured that the Queen left with some of their treasures, including a fruit loaf and an iced madeira cake.
Students from Fane Street Primary School presented the Queen with an envelope full of Get Well Soon cards and messages for the King. Cards and well-wishes were offered at nearly every stop during the engagement. Camilla told a shop assistant at the Arcadia Deli that the King is “doing very well,” adding, “He was very disappointed he couldn’t come.”
For her visit to Lisburn Road, Camilla chose a meaningful brooch with links to her late mother-in-law. The brooch belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and it’s possible that it was one of her wedding presents in 1947. Camilla has been wearing the brooch for years, including a prominent outing at the funeral for the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire in 2014.
Next, after a quick wardrobe change, Queen Camilla headed to Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn. There, she took the salute at a Cadre pass-off parade for Junior Non-Commissioned Officers of the 2nd Battalion The Rifles.
Queen Camilla has been the Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment since taking over the role from the late Prince Philip in 2020. For Thursday’s parade, she wore her large diamond and gem-studded brooch shaped like the regiment’s cap badge, plus the diamond badge of the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, which is part of the UK Special Forces. She has also been that regiment’s Colonel-in-Chief since 2020.
Next, Queen Camilla traveled to Hillsborough Castle in Belfast, the official residence for members of the royal family when in Northern Ireland. There, she was present for a reception hosted by one of her personal projects, the Queen’s Reading Room, to celebrate World Poetry Day.
Camilla changed into an Anna Valentine dress for the reception in a shade described by royal reporters as “bottle green.” She also wore an intriguing brooch that has popped up during her appearances several times lately.
The brooch features a diamond-studded square with a green ribbon wrapping over and around it. I don’t know for sure, but I’d wager that the green section is enamel. We haven’t heard any details about the brooch’s age or its maker. It’s an interesting piece, because I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that it’s antique or modern.
We’ve seen Camilla wear the brooch on a few occasions this year. She chose it for the opening of Maggie’s Royal Free, a new cancer support center in London, on January 31.
And on February 22, she wore the brooch at Buckingham Palace for the presentation of the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for higher and further education. Today, we learned some details about the brooch, thanks to royal reporter Rebecca English, who has accompanied the Queen on this Northern Ireland trip. She shared on Twitter that the brooch was given to Camilla by King Charles III. No wonder Camilla has been wearing it so often recently!
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