Queen Camilla Dazzles in a $10 Million Brooch With Ties to Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana
The Queen looked regal in blue during a state visit to Italy with King Charles.


King Charles and Queen Camilla touched down in Rome on Monday, April 7 to kick off their anticipated state visit to Italy. Although The King was briefly hospitalized in late March, Their Majesties arrived in Italy on schedule, ready to take on a busy few days of engagements (and celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary). On April 8, Queen Camilla chose a regal ensemble for a day that included visits to the Colosseum and Quirinale Palace, the official residence of the Italian president—and her historic brooch brings back memories of numerous queens who came before her.
Camilla, who wore a blue silk crepe dress and matching coat by one of her favorite designers, Fiona Clare, showed off a sparkling sapphire and diamond brooch that's steeped in history. Known as Prince Albert's Brooch, the Garrard design features an enormous oval-shaped sapphire surrounded by diamonds and per The Court Jeweller, was given by Prince Albert to Queen Victoria on their wedding night in 1840.
Victoria wore the brooch pinned to her wedding dress and it was designated in her will as an "heirloom to the crown," which meant it would be handed down to future queens for generations to come. The piece was worn by Queen Alexandra for her 1902 coronation and by Queen Mary, the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth through the years.
Queen Camilla wore a blue Fiona Clare coat with her sparkling brooch.
The King and Queen posed in front of the Colosseum during their visit to Rome.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are visiting Italy for an official state visit.
Queen Elizabeth frequently wore Prince Albert's brooch throughout her 70-year reign, pinning it to her coat for numerous occasions, and now Queen Camilla has the honor of wearing the piece.
And while Princess Diana never wore the brooch, it's said to have inspired her engagement ring, which features a very similar sapphire design surrounded by designs. The iconic ring, of course, was later given to Kate Middleton when Prince William proposed in 2010.
Maxwell Stone of Steven Stone Jewelers said that due to its incredible history, the sapphire and diamond pin—which contains a center stone of "at least 40 carats" would be "worth around £8 million" (roughly $10 million) if it sold today.
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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.
Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.
Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.
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