Queen Camilla Brings Back Queen Victoria’s Historic Brooch

Queen Camilla wearing a blue jacket and a diamond heart brooch standing with a man and woman looking at a painting

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Queen Camilla joined King Charles to mark Holocaust Memorial Day at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, January 27, attending a reception with Holocaust survivors and their families. The Queen, wearing a navy dress, accessorized with a piece of jewelry that hasn't been seen since Queen Elizabeth II's funeral: Queen Victoria's Hesse Diamond Jubilee Brooch.

The heart-shaped diamond brooch with sapphire accents was gifted to Queen Victoria in 1897 to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years on the throne. While Queen Camilla has worn the piece on several occasions, including the late Queen's 2022 funeral, jewelry expert Nilesh Rakholia says Camilla's decision to wear it on Tuesday was a deliberate and meaningful one.

"Jewelry worn on occasions like Holocaust Memorial Day is never decorative," Rakholia, the founder of U.K.-based jeweler Abelini, tells Marie Claire. "It functions as a visual language of remembrance, continuity and restraint."

Queen Camilla and King Charles lighting candles on a table for Holocaust Memorial Day — The King and Queen light candles for Holocaust Memorial Day.

Queen Camilla wearing a black hat and coat with a heart brooch at Queen Elizabeth's funeral — Queen Camilla wears Queen Victoria's Hesse Diamond Jubilee Brooch at Queen Elizabeth's funeral in 2022.

Rakholia adds that for Camilla, "Choosing a piece rooted in one of the longest reigns in British history subtly reinforces the idea of remembrance across generations—an acknowledgement that history must be carried forward, not distanced.”

The jewelry expert continues that the brooch's design is especially fitting for the occasion. "The heart motif is significant," he says. "In royal jewelry, hearts often represent empathy, duty and human connection rather than romance."

Although the sapphire and diamond design is certainly striking, Rakholia points out that it's rather "restrained" as compared to other royal brooches. “She is acutely aware of context," he says of Queen Camilla. "On commemorative occasions, she avoids overtly grand or immediately recognizable heirlooms. Instead, she selects pieces that carry meaning without demanding attention. The absence of excess is intentional.”

Queen Camilla shaking hands with a woman in a wheelchair — Queen Camilla greets guests at a Holocaust Memorial Day reception at Buckingham Palace.

The King and Queen met Holocaust survivors and their descendants during the reception, and also viewed a series of portraits of seven Holocaust survivors, all honored for their services to awareness and education. The paintings were commissioned by King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales and are currently display in the East Wing of Buckingham Palace.

As part of the commemorations, Queen Camilla and King Charles lit candles together in a symbolic act of remembrance, and they also met with representatives from some of their patronages dedicated to Holocaust education.

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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.