Queen Camilla Wears “Striking” Brooch That Has Been Called Her “Most Mysterious” on an Outing With King Charles
Queen Camilla Wears “Striking” Brooch That Has Been Called Her “Most Mysterious” on an Outing With King Charles
Rachel BurchfieldMon, September 7, 2026 at 2:34 PM UTC
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Queen Camilla at the Braemar Gathering on September 5, 2026.Credit: GettyThe Gist -
King Charles and Queen Camilla remain on holiday in Balmoral and stepped out for the Braemar Gathering on September 5.
The queen wore a Tudor crown brooch that has been called her “most mysterious,” mostly because its origins are unknown.
The piece—which Camilla began wearing in early 2023—is thought to be a gift from Charles to his wife.
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s Balmoral holiday continues, and for an outing with her husband to the Braemar Gathering in Scotland, the queen wore what has been billed as her “most mysterious brooch.”
Queen Camilla and King Charles in Scotland on September 5, 2026.Credit: Getty
On September 5, the royal couple took part in the tradition—which extends back to the days of Queen Victoria—and dressed the part: the king in a tartan kilt, tweed waistcoat, and blazer, and the queen in a forest green coat and matching fascinator. Pinned to Camilla’s jacket was a Tudor crown brooch, encrusted with diamonds and set with a single ruby, sapphire, and emerald along its base, Tatler reported.
Queen Camilla wearing her mysterious Tudor crown brooch on September 5, 2026.Credit: Getty
Its mystery comes because the provenance of the brooch is unknown. Camilla was first seen wearing the brooch in early 2023, when she wore the piece to a royal engagement at an East London mosque that February. It appeared again just weeks later at an event for Her Majesty’s Reading Room, and it was also seen earlier this year when Charles and Camilla went to church at Sandringham this past February.
Queen Camilla wearing the Tudor crown brooch alongside King Charles on February 1, 2026.Credit: Getty
Justin Daughters, managing director at high-end jeweler Berganza, tells InStyle that the piece “is an outstanding example of how mid-20th-century design can feel both deeply heraldic and strikingly contemporary.”
“From an antique jewelry perspective, the piece is defined by a series of high-level gemological details that set it apart from many traditional royal jewels,” he says. “The striking element of this brooch is its central blue sapphire, particularly its very unusual sugarloaf cut. This distinctive, non-faceted form creates a soft, pyramid-like shape.” The result, he adds, “is a sapphire with a rich, almost velvet depth that is seldom seen in modern high jewelry.”
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Queen Camilla debuted the Tudor crown brooch during a visit to a mosque on February 8, 2023.Credit: Getty
The sapphire is “the visual focal point” of the brooch, but Daughters adds that “The craftsmanship of the crown itself is equally striking.” The Tudor crown also adds a layer of symbolism, as “This motif has a long and complex history within the British monarchy,” Daughters says.
Camilla first began wearing the brooch between Queen Elizabeth’s death on September 8, 2022, and Charles’s coronation on May 6, 2023, leading some to assume that it was a gift from Charles himself, according to Tatler. The outlet noted that “The design of the crown is particularly significant, as it depicts the Tudor heraldic crown, which features in the individual royal cyphers of the king and queen, as well as their joint cypher.”
Queen Camilla on September 5, 2026.Credit: Getty
Charles reinstating the Tudor crown in his royal cypher—and Camilla’s choice to wear a brooch with the crown—adds “another layer of meaning to its place within the current reign,” Daughters says.
Queen Camilla in Scotland on September 5, 2026.Credit: Getty
The Tudor crown dates back to the reign of Henry VIII, and the original featured 344 rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, and pearls. It was destroyed during the Civil War of 1649 and was replaced by the St. Edward’s Crown in Queen Elizabeth’s coat of arms. That crown is composed of a solid gold frame, stands 12 inches tall, and is set with 444 precious and semi-precious stones, including amethysts, garnets, tourmalines, rubies, and sapphires, Tatler reported.
As to whether Camilla’s brooch was a gift from Charles or not, “the combination of its distinctive gem setting, Tudor symbolism, and unknown provenance makes it a particularly fascinating piece,” Daughters tells InStyle. “It is relatively understated compared with some of the more famous royal jewels, but the design gives it a strong visual identity and a clear connection to the monarchy’s past and present.”
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