Princess Anne's 57-Year-Old Keepsake at King Harald's Funeral Reads as "Respectful Rather Than Decorative," Says Jewelry Expert
Nilesh Rakholia tells 'Marie Claire' that the Princess Royal made a "very deliberate" choice to honor the late Norwegian monarch.
Royal women from around the world wore traditional pearl jewelry to honor King Harald of Norway at his funeral on Wednesday, September 9, including Princess Anne, who joined Prince William for the services at Oslo Cathedral.
While the Prince of Wales attended as an official representative of his father, King Charles, the funeral had a more personal significance for the Princess Royal, who has served as a godmother to the new Norwegian monarch, King Haakon, since his 1973 christening. For the funeral, Princess Anne wore a classic pair of pearl drop earrings, a choice that Eddie Le Vian, CEO of Le Vian jewelers, told Marie Claire dates back to Anne’s great-great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria.
“Pearls have spoken the language of royal mourning for generations,” Le Vian says. “Since Queen Victoria mourned Prince Albert, pearls have come to evoke tears, remembrance and dignity. Unlike other royal guests, Anne appeared to skip a pearl necklace in favor of a silk scarf, and instead wore a diamond-studded gold brooch with decades of significance.
Princess Anne wore her gold ribbon brooch at King Harald's funeral on September 9.
Prince William and the Princess Royal proceed behind Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan at the funeral.
Jewelry expert Nilesh Rakholia, Founder of Abelini, tells Marie Claire that the Princess Royal’s gold ribbon brooch was “a very deliberate” decision for the occasion. “The princess has dozens of options in her collection, so reaching for a brooch she has worn consistently for over fifty years tells you this wasn't a casual choice,” Rakholia says.
The brooch itself dates back to the mid-20th century and takes the form of a loosely knotted bow, set with around a dozen diamonds. An 18-year-old Princess Anne first wore the piece in 1969 at a Buckingham Palace meeting with Apollo 8 commander Colonel Frank Borman—and the pin has been in regular rotation for close to 60 years.
“To still be reaching for the same piece nearly six decades later says an enormous amount about what it means to her personally, far more than any high-value piece could,” Rakholia says. The Princess Royal has worn the brooch for events such as her 70th birthday portrait and at Ascot, but also for numerous solemn engagements, like Anzac Day services honoring fallen soldiers and an event marking the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Crete.
Princess Anne (far right) debuted her ribbon brooch while meeting American astronaut Colonel Frank Borman, Commander of the Apollo 8 mission, at Buckingham Palace in 1969.
"That's the pattern that stands out to me,” Rakholia shares. “This isn't a brooch she reaches for on lighter occasions. Time and again, it appears at moments of remembrance and loss specifically, whether that's a wreath-laying for fallen soldiers in the spring or, now, the funeral of a head of state she has a personal connection to.”
Nilesh notes that the brooch's diamond setting adds sparkle without being inappropriate at solemn occasions. "Diamonds against a dark coat, which is what she's worn it with here, create a soft contrast rather than anything flashy. It's the kind of piece that reads as respectful rather than decorative, which matters enormously at a funeral."
