Queen Camilla looked as radiant as ever this afternoon when she arrived at the Cheltenham Festival for ‘Style Wednesday’.
Exuding effortless elegance in a dark green coat, the senior royal accessorised with a lively floral scarf, a faux fur-trimmed hat and an eye-catching brooch.
Fine jewellery and engagement ring experts at Steven Stone couldn’t wait to take a look at the brooch, revealing everything you need to know…
Shaped as a horse-shoe, the brooch features diamond-set letters that spell out the name ‘Minoru’ – alongside three round cut rubies and four round cut sapphires.
Minoru was one of King Edward VII’s most successful thoroughbred racehorses and his win at Epsom in 1909 made him the first reigning monarch to win the Derby. To celebrate his horse’s grand victories, Edward VII had several jewel-studded scarf-pins made.
According to press clippings from the time, Danny Maher – the American-born jockey who rode Minoru to victory in the Free Handicap at Newmarket – was presented with a jewel-studded scarf-pin in recognition of his success.
“Featuring diamonds, rubies and sapphires, Camilla’s brooch is certainly an impressive piece. The diamond-set letters spell out ‘Minoru’, which was one of King Edward VII’s most successful racehorses – making it a particularly sentimental jewel.
Though how the brooch fell into Camilla’s possession is unknown, press clippings from the time period of Minoru’s victories in the early 1900’s state that King Edward VII commissioned several jewel-studded scarf pins, which makes the Queen Consort’s brooch an incredibly historic piece.
Camilla’s not the first member of the royal family to pay homage to her love of horses through jewellery, with Princess Anne frequently accessorizing with a gold horse brooch. In tribute to her great grandmother, Princess Charlotte also recently wore a brooch in the shape of a horse shoe to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
With all of this in mind, I’d estimate Camilla’s brooch to be worth approximately $15,000.”
maxwell stone, diamond expert, steven stone
Queen Camilla isn’t the first member of the royal family to pay homage to their love of horses through jewellery, with Princess Anne frequently accessorising with a golden brooch that’s shaped like a horse.
Princess Charlotte also wore a brooch in the shape of a horse-shoe to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral – a particularly heartwarming choice as it was the first time that the Princess had been seen in a brooch.
If you’re looking for jewellery to rival the royal collection, our team can design bespoke creations, tailored to you. From engagement rings and wedding rings to necklaces and pendants, your options are endless.
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