Queen Elizabeth II’s Patriotic Cartier Flag Brooch for Queen Camilla in Washington

The British state visit to America has officially begun, and Queen Camilla landed on US soil wearing a little-seen patriotic brooch with links to Queen Elizabeth II’s 1957 state visit to the United States.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s plane landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Monday for the start of their state visit. Queen Camilla descended the steps from the airplane wearing a chic pink ensemble made by Dior.

Later, when the couple arrived at the White House, she changed into a white dress with delicate floral embroidery on the bodice, cuffs, and skirt. The ensemble was made by one of her favorite designers, Anna Valentine.

With both outfits, Camilla wore her favorite earrings: a pair of diamond floral clips with round pearl drops. She also pinned a special brooch to her dress. Roya Nikkah of the Times tells us that the piece is “a jewelled Cartier Union flag & Stars and Stripes flag brooch presented to Queen Elizabeth II in 1957 by the Mayor of New York.”

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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip headed to the US for the first American state visit of her reign in October 1957, with stops in Washington, D.C., Jamestown, and New York. She was feted with a ticker-tape parade in Manhattan on October 21, followed by a reception at City Hall and (pictured above) a luncheon for 1,700 guests at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Mayor Robert F. Wagner, Jr. was the host of the luncheon, which featured a guest list that included the Governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, as well as United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld, President Herbert Hoover, and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. After the luncheon, she delivered remarks at the UN before returning to the Waldorf for a glittering dinner.

The late Queen was showered with official gifts during her trip, but Mayor Wagner and his wife, Susan, offered her the double flag brooch as a personal present. The gem-studded brooch features the Union Jack and the American flag gathered together as a sign of enduring friendship.

Here’s one more look at Queen Camilla wearing the brooch on Monday in Washington.

You know the rules: no discussion of contemporary politics. I’ll see you back here later for more jewelry moments, including the pieces worn by Camilla for the state dinner.