Princess Kate and Queen Camilla's Remembrance Sunday Gems "Tell Stories That Words Alone Sometimes Cannot," Says Jewelry Expert
Antique jewelry pro Justin Daughters weighs in on the sentimental pieces the Princess of Wales and The Queen chose for this year's ceremony.
Members of the Royal Family gathered for the annual Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph war memorial in London on November 8, and Queen Camilla and Princess Kate both chose meaningful pieces of jewelry for the solemn occasion.
The ceremony honors British and Commonwealth military personnel who have died fighting for their countries, and both The Queen and the Princess of Wales leaned into “deeply personal” connections and military history with their ensembles.
“What stood out about Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales's choices this year was that both wore pieces with stories that extended far beyond their appearance," Justin Daughters, Managing Director at antique jewelry specialists Berganza, tells Marie Claire.
Queen Camilla wears the regimental badge of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers on Remembrance Sunday.
Queen Camilla, in particular, chose to honor a family member’s Army service at the National Service of Remembrance. The Queen pinned the regimental badge of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers under three paper poppies, which represent the three branches of the British military.
“Her late father, Major Bruce Shand, served with the 12th Royal Lancers during the Second World War and was awarded the Military Cross,” Daughters shares. “Camilla is now Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Lancers, making the badge a meaningful connection between her father's military service and her own royal role."
The jewelry pro adds that it was common for women to wear these badges, which “became popular gifts exchanged between servicemen and their loved ones” during wartime.
The Queen paired her brooches with a pearl choker and matching drop earrings, with pearls—which can symbolize teardrops—often worn by members of the Royal Family during funerals and other services of remembrance.
Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales both wore wide-brimmed black hats for the service.
Princess Kate paired her poppies with the HMS Glasgow Brooch.
The Princess of Wales also leaned into pearl jewelry, wearing Princess Diana's beloved Collingwood Pearl Earrings with the same poppy pin as Camilla. Underneath, Kate pinned her HMS Glasgow brooch on a new black coat by one of Diana's favorite designers, Catherine Walker.
Princess Kate took part in the official naming ceremony of the Royal Navy ship HMS Glasgow in 2025, and Daughters says the brooch "was crafted by Glasgow jewelers James Porter & Son from sterling silver and given to Catherine before the christening ceremony of the ship."
The silver design "features St Kentigern, the patron saint of Glasgow, along with Scotland's national emblem, the thistle, and a naval crown," per the jewelry expert.
Speaking of Queen Camilla and Princess Kate's jewelry, Daughters adds, "What I find most interesting is the contrast between the two brooches. One represents a longstanding family connection to a military regiment, while the other celebrates a modern naval association and the heritage of a city. Yet both demonstrate the same thing: jewelry can tell stories that words alone sometimes cannot."
