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The Queen’s Trooping the Colour Jewels

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The royal family stands on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past of aircraft by the Royal Air Force, in London on June 9, 2018
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images

Today at Windsor Castle, the Queen’s official 95th birthday celebrations will be held. The ceremony, known as Trooping the Colour, is a military performance and salute by one of the five Household Regiments (once called the “Brigade of Guards”). Like last year’s celebration, this one will be small and private, held within the quadrangle at Windsor. But to mark the moment, let’s have a look at the Queen’s jewelry during the event over the decades.

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A Royal Brooch Update

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Toby Melville – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Like many of us, the Queen has been staying at home a lot recently. She’s been at Windsor Castle, where she has continued to work privately with the help of a small staff. But because the Queen knows how important public appearances are to the continued success of the monarchy, she’s still made an effort to connect with the larger world on several recent occasions — and, because she’s Queen Elizabeth II, she’s worn some excellent brooches while doing so. Here’s a recap…

The Royal Family
The Queen made a stirring address to the nation and the world in April from Windsor Castle, thanking essential workers for their services and encouraging everyone to stay steadfast in the face of crisis. For the occasion, she wore a brooch with a long family history. The diamond and turquoise brooch, made in the nineteenth-century, was Queen Mary’s wedding gift from her parents-in-law, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The Queen has only begun wearing the brooch fairly recently, and its innocuous but regal presence made it a perfect choice for the speech. She wanted her words, not her clothing or jewelry, to make the bigger statement. 
The Royal Family
To mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, the Queen reached for a pair of important and sentimental brooches. These diamond and aquamarine clips, made by Boucheron, were a gift from her father to mark her eighteenth birthday in 1944. She’s been wearing them since the days of the war, and the decision to wear them for this special broadcast reminded viewers of her own longevity and of her relationship with the wartime monarch.
The Royal Family
The Duke of Edinburgh, rather incredibly, celebrated his 99th birthday in June. To mark the occasion, the palace released a brand-new portrait of the couple, taken at Windsor Castle. For the portrait, the Queen chose a brooch that is both suitably regal and appropriately sentimental: the Cullinan V Brooch, which features a central heart-shaped diamond.
Toby Melville – WPA Pool/Getty Images
The Welsh Guards Leek Brooch
The Queen’s most prominent “public” appearance during this season came in June, when the Welsh Guards marked her official birthday with a scaled-down Trooping the Colour presentation on the grounds of Windsor Castle. The Queen was clearly delighted to see her troops again.
Toby Melville – WPA Pool/Getty Images
The Queen usually wears the Guards Brooch for Trooping the Colour, but this year, she paid special tribute to the Welsh Guards with her brooch choice. This small diamond brooch is shaped like a leek, one of the national emblems of Wales. The brooch was presented to the Queen by the Welsh Guards at least a half century ago, making it an especially appropriate choice for this moment. (A similar brooch is also owned by the Duchess of Cornwall, wife of the Prince of Wales.)

Jewels of Trooping the Colour 2019

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TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images

Thought I’d offer all of you a little Saturday treat and bring you tomorrow’s post a few hours early! Here’s our overview of the jewels of this year’s birthday celebrations for the Queen.

TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images

The Queen rode in a closed carriage during this year’s parade, reportedly because of changeable weather conditions.

DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images

As per usual, she wore the Guards’ Brooch for the festivities. (More on the brooch here!) She also seemed to struggle a bit with the sun — it’s worth noting that she has consistently begun wearing sunglasses for outdoor events, probably to help with increased sensitivity to light.

TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images

At Horseguards Parade, HM stood on the dais to watch more than 1400 soldiers, 400 musicians, and 300 horses take part in this year’s Trooping the Colour presentation.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The senior members of the royal family were out in force for this year’s parade, riding in carriages or on horseback down the Mall.

DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images

The Duchess of Cornwall wore what has increasingly become her daytime jewelry uniform: one of her pearl choker necklaces (this time, the one with the larger diamond clasp) and her favorite pearl drop earrings.

DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images

The Duchess of Cambridge wore the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings, which are on loan to her from the Queen.

DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images

She also wore a diamond-set cross pendant on a thin chain.

DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images

The Duchess of Sussex took a brief break from her maternity leave to join her Duke for the birthday festivities.

DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images

She wore a simple pair of sparkling stud earrings for the occasion. Eagle-eyed royal watchers also noted that a new diamond eternity band has joined her engagement and wedding rings — perhaps either an anniversary or new baby present.

Pete Summers/Getty Images

As usual, the York princesses kept their jewelry minimal, but you’ll spot golden bracelets on both of them in this image from the carriage procession.

Pete Summers/Getty Images

The Countess of Wessex chose modern earrings to pair with her striking black hat and green outfit.

Pete Summers/Getty Images

Lady Louise was definitely wearing some sort of pendant necklace today, but the angle didn’t give us a good view of the piece. Isn’t her little fascinator lovely?

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The Princess Royal was in uniform to ride on horseback in the procession. She joined her brothers and nephew: from left to right, that’s Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Andrew.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Anne’s daughter-in-law, Autumn, made an appearance on the balcony this year. She wore small pearl drop earrings with her bright pink ensemble. (You’ll spot her husband, Peter Phillips, behind her, and her daughters, Isla and Savannah, standing in front of her. The boy standing behind Isla is Viscount Severn.)

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

As ever, the royal kids were the stars of the show on the palace balcony. Little Prince Louis made his first Trooping appearance, clapping and waving happily at the planes flying over head.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The balcony was absolutely jam-packed with Windsors this year. Here, from left to right, we have Camilla, Sir Tim Laurence, Charles, Beatrice, Anne, the Queen, Eugenie, Louise, Jack Brooksbank’s right ear, Andrew, Harry, and Meghan.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The Kents occupied the right side (well, our left side) of the balcony: Zenouska Mowatt, Lady Gabriella Kingston, Lord Frederick Windsor, Thomas Kingston, Lady Frederick, Princess Michael, and Prince Michael.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Lord Nicholas Windsor and his son, Albert (with his arm in a sling) scored a prime position beside the Cambridges.

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Meghan and Harry stood with Viscount Severn and the Phillipses; beside them were little Lyla Gilman (daughter of Lady Rose and George Gilman), Eloise Taylor (who has gotten so tall!), and Eloise’s mother, Lady Helen Taylor.

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And we got even more Kents and Gloucesters on the other end of the balcony, too: Flora Ogilvy, George and Lady Rose Gilman, James Ogilvy, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, part of Timothy Taylor’s face, Alexander Ogilvy, and the Countess and Earl of St. Andrews.

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Quite a good showing for this year’s un-birthday celebrations!