Queen Camilla Wears Historic Brooches for Nigerian State Visit

Queen Camilla in a pink hat and coat smiling — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Royal Family welcomed the president and first lady of Nigeria for an official state visit on Wednesday, March 18, and Queen Camilla looked pretty in pink for their ceremonial welcome. The Queen, dressed in a candy pink coat and dress by Fiona Clare, added a matching Philip Treacy hat and an especially sentimental piece of jewelry to honor their Nigerian guests.

Queen Camilla pinned the Greville Ivy Cleaf Clips to either side of her collar, and the two dazzling diamond brooches were a favorite piece of Queen Elizabeth.

Although Nigeria is part of the Commonwealth, this week’s state visit marks the first in 37 years, making it an especially historic trip. To honor their shared connections, Princess Kate wore a gray coat by British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker, and although her tribute isn’t quite as obvious, Queen Camilla’s brooches also pay a subtle nod to the country.

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Queen Camilla wearing a pink coat and hat and smiling — Queen Camilla wears the Greville Ivy Leaf Clips on March 18.

Queen Elizabeth shaking hands with a man in Nigeria — Queen Elizabeth appears to wear the Greville brooches during a 1956 trip to Nigeria.

In a 1956 photo of Queen Elizabeth visiting the African country, she appears to be wearing the Greville Ivy Cleaf Clips pinned to her floral dress. The brooches were given to Elizabeth by her parents as a 21st birthday gift when she was visiting South Africa in 1947, and she was wearing them in Kenya the night before she found out her father, King George VI, had died in February 1952.

The Queen Mother inherited the brooches, along with a tiara and numerous other pieces of jewelry, from her dear friend, Dame Margaret Greville. “The Greville Ivy Leaf Clips are a beautiful example of how royal jewelry evolves in meaning over time, shaped by the former queens who have worn it,” Nilesh Rakholia, CEO and founder of Abelini, tells Marie Claire.

“The ivy motif itself is deeply symbolic, traditionally associated with loyalty, connection, and enduring bonds,” the jewelry expert adds. “Unlike flowers that fade, ivy clings and grows, making it a powerful emblem of continuity.”

Queen Camilla in a pink coat and hat walking with the first lady of Nigeria in front of Prince William and Princess Kate — Queen Camilla walks with the Nigeria's first lady, Oluremi Tinubu, followed by the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Queen Camilla, King Charles and the First Lady and President of Nigeria examining objects from the Royal Collection — The president and first lady examine objects from the Royal Collection with The King and Queen.

Along with ties to queens before her, the jewels have a personal connection for Queen Camilla.

“There’s also a subtle personal resonance here,” Rakholia explains. “Dame Margaret Greville’s close connection to Alice Keppel, Queen Camilla’s great-grandmother, gives these jewels an added layer of intimacy within the royal collection—a rare intersection of heritage, family history, and design.”

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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.