Imperial Diamonds and Pearls–and a Spectacular Cartier Brooch!–at the Start of the Japanese State Visit to Britain

Diamonds are already dazzling at the start of the Japanese state visit to Britain! King Charles III and Queen Camilla welcomed their imperial counterparts to London on Tuesday, and there were a pair of gorgeous brooches on display.

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan arrived in Britain a few days ago ahead of the start of their long-awaited state visit, the first made by a Japanese head of state since his parents visited in 1998. The state visit was originally planned for 2020, when Queen Elizabeth II was still on the throne, but it had to be postponed because of the pandemic. Naruhito and Masako made the first overseas trip of his reign when they attended the funeral of the late Queen in 2022.

Now, the state visit has finally gone ahead. Masako was elegant in pearls as the couple landed at Stansted on Saturday. They spent the next two days privately, making stops at Japan House and the Thames Barrier.

On Tuesday, the state visit officially began when the Prince of Wales arrived at the imperial couple’s hotel to escort them to Horse Guards Parade for the traditional welcome ceremony.

At Horse Guards Parade, the King and Queen were waiting to greet the Emperor and Empress. The King and the Emperor inspected a guard of honor formed by the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards during the ceremony before riding in a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace for lunch. There, they were joined by the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, and the Duke of Kent.

Both Masako and Camilla chose bright neutrals for the welcome ceremony. The Empress wore a lace coat with a matching dress and hat in shades of white and pale blue, while Queen Camilla wore a white ensemble with subtle black accents by Anna Valentine with a coordinating Philip Treacy hat.

Both royal ladies reached for pearl and diamond pieces to accessorize their outfits for the official welcome ceremony.

The Empress wore pearl button earrings with diamond accents, a single-stranded pearl necklace, and her modern diamond and pearl ribbon brooch for the occasion.

With her pearl drop earrings, Queen Camilla reached for one of the most important brooches in the royal jewelry collection, wearing the Williamson Pink Diamond Brooch in public for the second time.

The brooch’s central pink diamond, which originally weighed in at 54.5 carats, was a wedding gift to Elizabeth from a Canadian geologist, John Thoburn Williamson, in 1947. With the guidance of Queen Mary, Elizabeth decided to have the rare pink diamond mounted as the centerpiece of a modern brooch. After cutting, the pink diamond weighed in at 23.6 carats. Frederick A. Mew of Cartier in London designed a jonquil-shaped platinum and diamond brooch to showcase the pink diamond.

After the artists at Cartier finished the brooch in the early 1950s, the Queen began wearing it regularly for important occasions. Here, she wears the brooch to welcome the President of Portugal to London for a state visit in the autumn of 1955.

Here, a joyous Elizabeth II wears the brooch for the wedding of her youngest son, Prince Edward, and Sophie Rhys-Jones at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor in June 1999.

Queen Camilla made her debut in the special brooch a few weeks ago at a Buckingham Palace garden party. The floral design of the jewel makes it particularly perfect for spring occasions.

And here’s one more look at Camilla wearing the brooch during today’s official welcome ceremony in London. Join me back here later today for the tiaras and jewels of the state banquet at Buckingham Palace!