A Remarkable Romanov Sapphire for Queen Camilla at Marlborough House

Queen Camilla didn’t wear a brooch to the Commonwealth Day service on Monday, but it turns out she was just saving her big brooch moment for later in the day. Here’s a closer look at the spectacular Romanov sapphire that she wore for Monday evening’s Commonwealth Day reception.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla headed across the Mall to attend the Commonwealth Day reception on Monday evening. The event was hosted by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, at Marlborough House. The former royal residence, previously home to King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra, King George V, and Queen Mary. Since the 1960s, the building has served as the headquarters for the Commonwealth of Nations.

Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary surely would have been pleased by the jewels that Queen Camilla wore for the Marlborough House reception: sapphire earrings from Fabergé and an heirloom sapphire brooch from Queen Mary’s collection.

Here’s a closer look at the Fabergé earrings, which are new additions to Queen Camilla’s jewelry box. They 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.

We’ve seen Camilla wear these several times recently, most prominently for a reception at Buckingham Palace celebrating the work of the National Theatre.

But it was the brooch, of course, that really caught my eye during the Marlborough House reception. The brooch is a perfect choice for the venue, because it has connections to two of its most important past residents. The jewel originally belonged to Queen Alexandra’s sister, Empress Marie Feodorovna of Russia, and was later acquired by Queen Mary.

Here’s a closer look at the stunning brooch. It features a large faceted sapphire surrounded by delicate gold filigree work and a cluster of large round diamond brilliants. The gold detailing really helps to set it apart from other similar sapphire cluster brooches, including Prince Albert’s Brooch and Diana’s sapphire and diamond cluster.

It’s not a surprise that a brooch with such an interesting, intricate design originally belonged to the Romanovs. It was part of a large collection of sapphire jewels that belonged to Empress Marie Feodorovna, wife of Alexander III and mother of Nicholas II. A daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark, the Empress was also a sister of Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, King Frederik VIII of Denmark, and King George I of the Hellenes.

After the Russian Revolution, Marie Feodorovna managed to hang on to the sapphire brooch. It was inherited by her daughters, Grand Duchess Xenia and Grand Duchess Olga, after her death in 1928. They sold much of their mother’s jewelry to raise money for life in exile, and invoices show that Queen Mary purchased several pieces from them. She reportedly acquired the sapphire cluster brooch from the sisters (who were first cousins of Mary’s husband, King George V) in the early 1930s. In this portrait, she wears the brooch pinned low on her bodice.

Later, Mary handed the brooch over to her daughter-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, who we know best as the Queen Mother. She wore the treasured jewel for half a century. Above, she makes an appearance in the brooch at Royal Ascot in 1996, just a few weeks before her 96th birthday.

After the Queen Mother’s death, the brooch made its way into the jewelry collection of her elder daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. She debuted the piece in public in 2014 during a visit to the Vatican and wore it just a handful of times before her own passing in 2022.

Now, the brooch is worn by Queen Camilla. She first wore the piece publicly during a previous Commonwealth Day celebration in March 2023.

She’s also worn it for other occasions in the months and years since. Here’s a closer look at Camilla wearing the brooch during a state visit from the President of South Korea in November 2023.

Before we wrap up today, I’d be remiss if I didn’t highlight the gorgeous ensemble worn by Baroness Scotland for the reception. Her embroidered kaftan-style gown is beautiful—and how about those diamond and pearl drop earrings???