Queen Camilla Wears a Dazzling Diamond Leek in Wales

On Thursday, Queen Camilla reached for a symbolic royal jewel from her collection for a visit to Senedd Cymru, the Welsh Parliament, in Cardiff.

The royal visit to the Senedd was timed to coincide with the body’s 25th anniversary. It was established in May 1999 as the Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru (the National Assembly for Wales) and changed its official name to Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament) in 2020. The special event included poetry readings and choral performances.

For the visit, Queen Camilla wore a pink ensemble with neutral accessories, including a large hat with a dramatic brim.

She added diamonds and pearls for a little extra sparkle, wearing her favorite diamond floral and pearl drop earrings, plus her four-stranded pearl necklace with its round diamond clasp. (Her usual necklaces peeked through below the clasp as well.)

In a nod to the Welsh people, she also wore a diamond brooch in the shape of a leek. The leek is one of the most important national symbols of Wales. Legend has it that one ancient Welsh king ordered his soldiers to wear leeks on their armor during battle to identify themselves as Welshmen. Shakespeare mentions the “ancient” tradition of wearing leeks in Wales in Henry V, which was first published in 1600.

Here’s a closer look at Camilla’s leek brooch. There are several examples of leek brooches in British royal jewelry boxes. The Princess of Wales also has her own, and similar brooches were worn by the late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Diana, Princess of Wales as well. Camilla’s is easily distinguished by the small yellow gold portion that represents the leek’s roots.

Here’s one more look at Camilla wearing her leek brooch in Cardiff on Thursday. I like the nifty way that the fringe detailing on her dress echoes the fringed roots of the leek as well!