WPA Pool/Getty Images
Today, while attending Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, Queen Camilla paid tribute to the late monarch. In a black mourning ensemble, the wife of King Charles III arrived at Westminster Abbey in London with him this morning. A black coat dress with matching stockings and shoes, a black fascinator with floral appliqués, and a netted veil made up the ensemble.
At her state funeral, King Charles III, his brothers, and his sons marched behind the coffin of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, while Camilla, the Queen Consort, came in a car with the Princess of Wales. The two veiled royals, who were both dressed in black as a sign of respect for the late monarch, each decided on a piece of symbolic jewelry to honor the strong woman who ruled for 70 years. While Camilla selected the Hesse Diamond Jubilee Brooch from the family’s collection, Kate chose pearls from Her Majesty’s collection.
The heart-shaped pin was a gift to Queen Victoria from her grandchildren, who were decedents of the late Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse and by Rhine. It featured the number 60 in Slavonic numerals wrought in diamonds, surrounded by a cabochon sapphire at the top and two large sapphire drops at the bottom. The magnificent object, which was worth £20,000, was on exhibit in 1897 alongside other Diamond Jubilee gifts given to Queen Victoria at the Imperial Institute in London.
It wasn’t seen again until Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, joined the royal family in 2005 when the Hesse Diamond Jubilee Brooch was discovered. On state visits to Philadelphia in 2007, Japan in 2008, and Canada in 2009, she pinned it to the lapels of her coats. The most appropriate time, however, given its meaning, was when Charles and Camilla visited Scandinavia for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.
Queen Elizabeth II herself bestowed Camilla with the title of queen consort, and she had previously paid tribute to the late monarch with her accessories. Camilla donned the diamond thistle brooch that the late queen gave her for the procession to the revered St. Giles’ Cathedral last week.
Camilla sat beside Meghan Markle, Princess Kate, and her two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, at the burial for the queen today. As a display of respect for his mother, King Charles III stood close by while dressed in his uniform.
The queen’s surviving family members, foreign royals, and international leaders all attended the funeral service, which started at 11 a.m. U.K. time.
The late monarch will be interred at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle after the burial, where her husband of more than 70 years, Prince Philip, was laid to rest after his passing last year.
