Queen sends hidden message as she and Prince Philip make rare appearance

queen elizabeth hidden message brooch prince philip birthday
(Image credit: Getty)

The Queen and Prince Philip have made a rare appearance as they were photographed in Windsor.

The Queen and Prince Philip made a rare appearance in honour of the Duke of Edinburgh’s 99th birthday today, as the couple shared a lovely snap of them enjoying life in lockdown.

In a photo that was shared on the Royal Family Instagram page, which represents the Queen and Prince Philip, the royal couple can be seen in a garden at their Windsor Castle home, where they have been isolating during the coronavirus lockdown.

📸 This new photograph of The Duke of Edinburgh and The Queen was taken last week in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle to mark His Royal Highness’s 99th birthday tomorrow,’ read the caption alongside the post, which got hundreds of thousands of likes in just a few hours.

A photo posted by on

However, there seems to be a hidden meaning behind the outfit that Queen Elizabeth chose to wear for the photo, in particular one of her accessories.

Known for always wearing important pieces of jewellery, the monarch can be seen with a special brooch pinned to her dress.

The eye-catching heart-shaped diamond piece, known as the Cullinan V diamond brooch, has a very important history and is one of the most unique pieces in the Queen’s repertoire.

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The brooch originally belonged to her grandmother, Queen Mary, and features a diamond cut from the largest diamond ever discovered, which also contributed material to the Crown Jewels.

The important diamond was gifted to King Edward VII back in 1907 to symbolise an end to conflict between Britain and South Africa and the Queen has only been seen wearing it for very special occasions.

queen elizabeth hidden message brooch prince philip birthday

The monarch adorned her outfit with the brooch at the wedding of her granddaughter Princess Eugenie back in October 2018 and it is thought that she uses the heart-shaped piece to symbolise a special occasion for someone that she loves.

What a lovely sentiment!

Aleesha Badkar
Digital Beauty Editor, woman&home

Aleesha is Digital Beauty Editor at woman&home, where she gets to share her expertise into all the best techniques, sharpest tools and newest products—with a particular savvy in skincare and fragrance.

Previously, she was Deputy Editor and Beauty & Fashion Editor for My Imperfect Life, where she headed up the beauty, fashion and eCommerce pages. In the past, she has worked as Shopping Writer at woman&home, gained an AOP awards nomination after working on their news team, contributed to Women's Health, Stylist and Goodto and earned an MA in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London.