Since the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II, various members of the royal family have been paying tribute to the late monarch through their choice of jewellery – from Princess Anne’s Grima Pearl Earrings, which were gifted to her by her parents in the late 1960s, to Camilla’s Diamond Thistle brooch, that originally belonged to the Queen Mother and was gifted to her by the Queen.

Fine jewellery and engagement ring experts at UK retailer Steven Stone have explored their choices and the sentiment behind them.

Camilla wore a diamond thistle brooch that features mico pave set stones on her black coatdress during the vigil in Edinburgh. Worth £75k, the intricate brooch resembles the Queen’s Thistle of Scotland brooch and was an incredibly touching choice as the Queen passed away in Scotland, at her beloved Balmoral Castle.
Worth £3k, Princess Anne’s Grima Pearl Earrings have remained in her frequent jewelry rotation throughout her life and have made appearances at some very important personal events. A particularly sentimental choice for Princess Anne, she wore the earrings on her journey to London alongside her mother’s coffin.
Yesterday, Kate Middleton wore a pearl necklace and a pair of pearl earrings to make a subtle nod to the Queen – who was renowned for her love of pearls – as she joined the royal family for a private vigil at the monarch’s coffin in Buckingham Palace.
The royal tradition of wearing pearls for mourning dates back to Queen Victoria, who was so overwhelmed with grief when Prince Albert died that she wore nothing but black for the rest of her life. Occasionally her black ensembles were broken up with jewellery – though it was always black, colourless or pearl. To mourn the loss of both her daughter Princess Alice in 1878, as well as Prince Albert, Queen Victoria wore brooches made with their initials, and a jet-black pendant set with a single, white pearl, establishing a tradition that has lasted until the present day.

Our leading jewellery expert, Maxwell Stone commented: “It’s incredibly touching to see members of the royal family paying tribute to the Queen with their jewellery choices.

Pearls have been long associated with royalty, so it’s no surprise to see Princess Anne and the Princess of Wales donning them. Princess Anne’s choice to wear her Grima Pearl Earrings is perhaps the most heartwarming. Gifted to her by her parents in the late 60s, they possess a huge amount of sentimentality and have made appearances at some very important personal events in her life – including her first royal tour as an adult, in Australia when she was with her Mother at just nineteen years old, her wedding to Timothy Laurence in 1992 and to Prince Phillip’s funeral in 2021.

Camilla’s choice of brooch is also incredibly poignant – particularly as it features a thistle, which is the national flower of Scotland, where the Queen passed away. Worth £75k, the stunning piece features micro pave set stones and was gifted to Camilla by the Queen.”