Edinburgh Family Jewels at the Royal Windsor Horse Show

May is the month for the annual Royal Windsor Horse Show, and last weekend two Windsor ladies took part in a carriage driving meet wearing gleaming earrings and brooches.

With the Duke of Edinburgh cheering from the sidelines, the Duchess of Edinburgh and Lady Louise Windsor competed in the Pol Roget Meet of the British Driving Society at the horse show on Sunday. The society’s official Facebook page noted, “Set against the majestic backdrop of Windsor Castle, this exceptional event showcased the very best of traditional carriage driving with its display of impeccably turned-out horses and vintage carriages.”

Carriage driving is a family tradition for the Windsors. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh began carriage driving in the early 1970s after he stopped playing polo, and he became so involved with the sport that he helped draft its early rule book. He introduced the sport to his daughter-in-law, Sophie, and his granddaughter, Louise, who has driven one of her late grandfather’s carriages in some events since his death in 2021.

For the meet, drivers are expected to be smartly dressed with jackets and hats. The Duchess wore a dark blue velvet coat (from Suzannah, per UFO No More) and a matching hat for the occasion.

Her accessories included a pair of earrings from her growing collection of Giulia Barela pieces. These are the Nodo style, and she’s worn them often over the past year. Her brooch is the badge of the Royal Windsor Horse Show Club.

Here’s a better look at the badge from an earlier appearance at this year’s show. As the badge notes, Sophie is the club’s Vice President. Her husband, Edward, is the show’s President, and the King is the event’s Patron.

Like her mother, Lady Louise wore a smart jacket and hat for the meet. The blanket on her lap is a driving apron, which is also an expected part of the attire for carriage driving.

Louise wore a favorite pair of earrings from her jewelry box for the occasion. These are the Leonidas Coin earrings from Laurence Coste. We’ve seen Louise wear them two years running on Christmas Day at Sandringham in December 2024 and December 2025.

Louise also wore a familiar silver-toned brooch with a driving-themed design, featuring a horse head, a horseshoe, and a driving whip.

Louise often wears the brooch while driving, but we’ve also seen her wear this brooch for two important moments outside of driving meets. Appropriately, she wore the brooch for Prince Philip’s funeral at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor in April 2021.

She also wore the brooch again in March 2022 for a service of thanksgiving for the late Duke at Westminster Abbey in London, held on the first anniversary of his passing.

Speaking of London, the third and final installment in my London 2026 travel diary will be published tomorrow morning at Hidden Gems. Paid subscribers will have full access to the article, which includes one final special jewelry moment. See you there!