Queen Camilla's Lucky Brooch Steadies the Present Narrative

Queen Camilla wearing a green coat and fur hat — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Queen Camilla turned to a historic brooch on February 23 as she attended Jamie’s Farm Charity Race Day at Plumpton Racecourse—and a jewelry expert tells Marie Claire that the piece embodies “resilience” amid Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's recent scandals.

Justin Daughters, Director of fine antique jewelers Berganza, says that Queen Camilla “leaned into over a century of royal sporting heritage” with her choice of the Minoru Brooch, a ruby, diamond and sapphire piece with ties to a royal horse from the early 1900s.

King Edward VII’s horse, Minoru, won the Epsom Derby in 1909, “making Edward the first reigning monarch to claim the prize while on the throne,” Daughters says. King Edward commissioned several pieces of jewelry to celebrate the win, including a circular brooch that’s part of the royal collection.

Detail of Queen Camilla's horseshoe brooch — Detail of Queen Camilla's brooch.

Queen Camilla wearing a green coat and fur hat and laughing — Queen Camilla is pictured at Plumpton Racecourse on February 23.

Queen Camilla walking in a green coat and fur hat — Queen Camilla bundles up in a forest green coat and fur-trimmed hat at the race.

While Camilla’s pin is a horseshoe shape and not a circle, it features the same design with “diamond-set letters spelling ‘MINORU,’ punctuated by round-cut rubies and sapphires,” per Daughters.

The Queen has worn the horseshoe brooch to a number of races, and this time, she pinned it to a forest green wrap coat, accessorizing with a glamorous faux-fur trimmed hat, tall brown suede boots and a Dior tote bag.

Although the royals have not spoken out on Andrew's arrest since the original statement King Charles released last week, Daughters says that wearing pieces that tie into history is a way they can present visual "continuity."

“Jewelry has always been a way for the Royal Family to honor tradition without saying a word,” Daughers says. “By wearing a piece that embodies abundance and resilience, The Queen underscores continuity, allowing the heritage of the past to steady the narrative of the present.”

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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.