Queen Camilla's electric blue outfit stands out from the crowd but it's the heartbreaking story behind her sapphire brooch that's got us chatting

Queen Camilla's sapphire brooch was truly the icing on the cake of her electric blue look. The daring tone of choice popped as she clung to her hat in the blustery weather - but that stunning piece of jewelry sat firmly in place. Its story, however, is far from stable and is associated with a grim incident in European history.

• Queen Camilla's sapphire brooch sat pride of place on her vibrant blue coat, which had a matching hat too.
• The brooch, known as the Russian Sapphire Cluster Brooch, has been worn by several generations of women in the Royal Family.
• In other royal news, The sweet detail in Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Day outfit you probably missed - but Prince Edward won’t have!

Stepping out at the Commonwealth Day Service 2023 in Westminster Cathedral, members of the Royal Family looked glam - despite the blustery weather. Kate Middleton's peplum suit in navy wowed and she wasn't the only one sporting blue.

There was no stopping the Queen Consort, who supported her husband during his first Commonwealth service as King. It was, of course, her first time attending the annual service as Queen Consort and she seriously looked the part. 

She stood out from the rest in an electric blue wool crepe dress and coat by Fiona Clare with a feathered beret from her favorite milliner, Ireland's Philip Treacy.

Although she shone bright like a diamond - it was Camilla's sapphire brooch that caught our eye. The link between the Royal Family and sapphires is undeniable. From Kate Middleton's engagement ring, to Princess Eugenie's rare lotus blossom sapphire engagement ring, and of course Princess Anne's two engagement rings - the royal gals just gotta have 'em.

This time around, we're not talking about engagement rings, it's all about that Queen Camilla's sapphire brooch, which is one of the most recognizable among Queen Elizabeth's brooches of choice.

Among all of the Royal Family's cherished pieces, this one stands out as its intricate gold filigree, set between its vivid sapphire and cluster of diamonds makes it a truly unique piece - as does its heartbreaking history.

Known as the Russian Sapphire Cluster Brooch, this piece once belonged to Marie Feodorovna, consort of Russia's Tsar Alexander III and mother of Tsar Nicholas II - the last Russian Tsar. Queen Marie was also a sister of Queen Alexandra, the wife of British King Edward VII -  Queen Elizabeth II's great-grandparents.

According to the Court Jeweller, Queen Alexandra’s daughter-in-law, Queen Mary, is believed to have bought the brooch from Marie Feodorovna’s daughters in 1934. The brooch now belongs to the British Royal Family and was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

That year, 1934, was, of course, decades after the fall of the Romanov dynasty, which ruled Russia from 1613 until the Russian Revolution in 1917. The Romanovs, along with many European royal families, were related to the British Royal Family.

This is owing to the intermarriage between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's children, among the monarchies and principalities of Europe. This means that both Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip were both related to the Romanovs.

So much so that Prince Philip's DNA was used to solve a murder mystery - what really happened to Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, and their five children who were murdered in 1918. Sadly, many Romanov descendants believe that King George V of England, the Tsar’s cousin and grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II, could have saved them.

Despite initially being offered a safe place to live in exile in the UK, this offer was subsequently rescinded by the British government - on the King's orders.

History.com reports that papers published in the 1980s showed that King George chose to rescind their asylum offer - fearing the British monarchy was losing support. He believed the risk of offering safety to a man regarded as a blood-soaked tyrant was too great.

Understandably, this piece of history is said to be a bit of a touchy subject with the British Royal Family.