Fabergé Imperial Earrings (and an Antique Brooch!) for Queen Camilla

We had another lovely brooch moment from Queen Camilla this week, as she hosted a reception to honor the National Theatre on Tuesday.

Queen Camilla welcomed representatives from the National Theatre to Buckingham Palace in London for a reception on Tuesday. The event celebrated the work that the institution has done on stage, on screen, and in schools. Here, she poses for an official photo with director and co-chief executive Rufus Norris, director designate Indhu Rubasingham, and executive director and co-chief executive Kate Varah.

For the reception, Queen Camilla wore a navy ensemble, which looked queenly but didn’t even try to detract from some of the fabulous costumes on display, including this royal-inspired one worn by the actress Sharon D. Clarke. She recently wore this ensemble to play Lady Bracknell in a National Theatre production of The Importance of Being Earnest.

Queen Camilla didn’t try to compete with the impressive theatrical costumes, but she did wear some interesting jewelry for the occasion, including a new pair of earrings and a fascinating little brooch.

Her earrings, which feature diamonds set in white gold and sapphire cabochon tassels, are the Impératrice Tassel Earrings from the Fabergé Imperial collection. The company’s website notes that the range “celebrates rhythms of the seasons.” The earrings retail on the website for $21,000 USD.

The National Theatre reception was Camilla’s second recent outing in the new earrings. Last week, she wore them with a pair of sapphire and diamond insect brooches for a visit to Middlesbrough’s International Centre.

Camilla opted for a different brooch for the reception, pinning a petite heart brooch to her dress. (This view also offers glimpses of her bracelets and rings, including a gold ring on her pinky finger.)

Here’s a closer look at the brooch, which appears to be an antique piece, perhaps made in the late nineteenth century or early twentieth century. The heart-shaped jewel looks to be made of black enamel, diamonds, and pearls.

I don’t think we’ve learned any provenance information about Camilla’s brooch yet, but it calls to mind two other royal examples. One of them belongs to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. Her black enamel and diamond heart brooch is a memorial pin made in 1917 in memory of her maternal great-grandmother, the Duchess of Connaught. Margrethe often wears the brooch for family funerals and other somber events.

The Duchess of Gloucester also owns an antique heart brooch that appears to be made of black enamel and diamonds. Here, she wears the brooch pinned to her hat for an Armistice Day ceremony in November 2022.