Queen Consort Camilla pays tribute to late mother-in-law wearing this symbolic jewel for the first time ever

Camilla stepped out in Germany donning late Queen Elizabeth's special brooch paired with a stunning Chanel bag

Queen Consort Camilla
(Image credit: Samir Hussein / Contributor)

Currently on a tour of Germany with her husband King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla paid tribute to her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, by wearing one of her favorite jewelry pieces while at the central station in Berlin.

Looking as put-together as usual, 75-year-old Camilla finished off her look with black boots and a similarly colored Chanel handbag. 

Despite looking great all around, though, all eyes were on the brooch that the royal opted to wear while meeting Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the president of Germany, his wife Elke Büdenbender and Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz.

The jewel, in fact, has a long and storied history.

Camilla and Charles in Germany

(Image credit: JOHN MACDOUGALL / Contributor)

Also referred to as Queen Victoria's sapphire and diamond wedding brooch or Prince Albert brooch, the piece was actually a gift from the latter royal to his future wife the day before their wedding in 1840. 

According to reports, the diamonds-and-gold brooch quickly became one of Victoria’s favorites as she was seen wearing it plenty of times throughout her reign - including on her actual wedding gown. 

The late royal even wrote in her diary that her future husband had gifted her "a splendid brooch, a large sapphire set round with diamonds, which is really quite beautiful."

Passed on from generation to generation as part of the official Royal Collection (where the piece is described as "a large oblong sapphire surrounded by 12 round diamonds"), the brooch eventually landed in the hands of Camilla's former mother-in-law, the late Queen Elizabeth II, who was mostly seen donning it at daytime events.

Imbuing the pin with even more symbolism, it is reported that Victoria and Albert made copies of it to give to their daughters. 

One of those copies was then given by Queen Elizabeth to Princess Anne in celebration of her 50th birthday back in 2000. During the festivities, the mother-daughter duo donned the same clasp - the queen opting for the original alongside Anne's copy.

Queen Camilla

(Image credit: Getty Images)

This seems to be the first time that Camilla has worn the piece since entering the royal family and, if Twitter reactions are of any indication, folks are pretty happy about the fashion choice. 

"I am delighted to see Her Majesty The Queen Consort following the tradition of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II," a Twitter user commented.

"So happy about this!," someone else wrote on the social media platform. "The vaults are truly OPEN! 🤩"

The King and Queen Consort's current trip through Germany has brought along with it other exciting fashion moments, including Camilla's decision to wear her favorite tiara for the first time as Queen with shimmering gown in Berlin.

The royal couple attended a State Banquet at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin and Camilla's favorite tiara was showcased as she brought back the late Queen Mother’s magnificent Boucheron Tiara for the first time since she became Queen.

We can’t wait to see what the royal has in store next in terms of style picks. 

Anna Rahmanan

Anna Rahmanan is a New York-based writer and editor who covers culture, entertainment, food, fashion and travel news. Anna’s words have appeared on Time Out New York, the Huffington Post, Fortune, Forbes, Us Weekly, Bon Appetit and Brooklyn Magazine, among other outlets.