King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived on the opening day of Royal Ascot, 18th June 2025, in the traditional carriage procession, marking 200 years since King George IV introduced the pageantry in 1825.
A beloved tradition of the late Queen Elizabeth II, Royal Ascot remains a key fixture in the British summer season, alongside the Chelsea Flower Show and palace garden parties.
The King looked sharp in a classic top hat and suit, while Queen Camilla wore a pale green Dior coat dress with a matching feathered Philip Treacy hat. But it was her dazzling brooch – rich in history and sentiment – that truly caught the eye.
Queen Camilla was wearing an incredibly valuable brooch that we’ve seen before – both on the late Queen Elizabeth II and during the coronation of King Charles back in May 2023. Have no fear, diamond experts at UK retailer Steven Stone are here with all of the juicy details.
Queen Camilla chose to be coronated with Queen Mary’s Crown, which was commissioned by Queen Mary for King George V’s 1911 coronation – though she made some changes, which included not featuring the infamous Koh-i-Noor diamond.
A particularly heartwarming change that Her Royal Heighness made was the incorporation of diamonds from Queen Elizabeth II’s personal jewellery collection – all of which were cut from the showstopping Cullinan diamond, which weighs a whopping 3106 carats.
The Cullinan V is a beautiful heart-shaped diamond that weighs 18.8 carats. It was set in platinum by Garrard in 1911, to create a multi-purpose piece, to be used in different items of jewellery. Queen Mary wore it on her crown for the 1911 coronation, and as the centre stone on her famous honeysuckle tiara on many occasions.
However, most of the time, the Cullian V diamond featured in a brooch setting, which was passed down to Queen Elizabeth II, who has worn it frequently over the decades.
From London Fashion Week in February 2018 to her annual Christmas broadcast in 2008, it was one of the late monarch’s most famous pieces.
Our experts estimate the brooch to be worth a staggering £2,000,000 ($2,500,000).
“The Cullinan V is a beautiful heart-shaped diamond that weighs 18.8 carats. It was set in platinum by Garrard in 1911 and Queen Mary wore it on her crown for the 1911 coronation. Most of the time, the Cullinan V diamond was featured in a brooch setting, which was passed down to Queen Elizabeth II, who wore it frequently over the decades.
Queen Camilla’s choice to wear the diamond in a brooch setting at Royal Ascot was an incredibly sentimental one. Not only does it have a sweet connection to the late monarch, but it was also one of the diamonds that she had incorporated into her crown for King Charles’ Coronation in May 2023 – during which, it sat in the front cross patee of her crown. Her Majesty previously wore it last Summer, at the first garden party of 2024.
The Cullinan V is a truly remarkable piece, laced with history. Thus, I’d estimate it to be worth £2 million ($2.5 million).”
MAXWELL STONE, LEADING DIAMOND EXPERT, STEVEN STONE
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