King Charles and Queen Camilla have just come to the end of their first major engagement of the year – a State Visit to Italy.
Coinciding with the couple’s 20th wedding anniversary, the visit saw Queen Camilla capture attention with a series of meaningful and elegant jewellery choices – from a brooch reminiscent of her wedding bouquet to a cherished necklace once belonging to her mother.
To mark the occasion, fine jewellery and diamond specialists at UK retailer Steven Stone have highlighted some of the most exquisite pieces Her Majesty wore during the visit, offering insight into their history, design, and estimated value.
Lily of the Valley Brooch
Estimated Value: £10,000
Queen Camilla often chooses jewellery rich with personal meaning for official portraits – and for the portrait commemorating her and King Charles’ 20th wedding anniversary, she selected a piece that couldn’t be more symbolic.
In the portrait – captured in the garden of the British Ambassador to Italy’s residence on the first day of Their Majesties’ State Visit – Her Majesty wore the Lily of the Valley brooch.
An exquisite creation by Fabergé, the brooch is adorned with diamonds and pearls arranged to resemble a delicate spray of lily of the valley. The choice is especially poignant, as the flower featured in her wedding bouquet and is traditionally associated with lasting love.
Though the brooch once belonged to the Queen Mother, there’s no known record of her ever wearing it. In contrast, Queen Camilla has embraced the piece on several important occasions, including her daughter Laura’s wedding in 2006.
It may not be among the most valuable brooches in the royal collection, but it is unquestionably one of the most meaningful.
Prince Albert Brooch
Estimated Value: £8,000,000
During her visit to the Quirinale Palace – the official residence of Italy’s president – on Tuesday, Queen Camilla chose to wear the historic Prince Albert brooch. Commissioned in secret by Prince Albert in 1840, the piece was a gift for his bride-to-be, Queen Victoria.
Presented to her on the evening of their wedding, the brooch quickly became one of Queen Victoria’s most treasured pieces, often worn throughout her life. It later passed to Queen Elizabeth II, for whom it also became a favourite, frequently featured in some of her most iconic appearances.
The striking brooch features a sizable oval or cushion-cut sapphire, which experts estimate to be at least 40 carats, encircled by 12 substantial diamonds believed to total around 12 carats.
Given its vivid colour and remarkable clarity, our experts suggest the sapphire was likely sourced from Burma – renowned for producing some of the world’s finest sapphires.
Celtic Knot Brooch
Estimated Value: £80,000
On Tuesday evening, King Charles and Queen Camilla attended a reception for the British-Italian community in Rome, held in the beautiful gardens of Villa Wolkonsky, the British ambassador’s residence.
Queen Camilla was wearing Queen Elizabeth II’s emerald and diamond Celtic knot brooch. Dating back to 1893, the brooch originally belonged to Queen Mary and is said to have been one of her wedding gifts.
The brooch’s design subtly mirrors the traditional Celtic knot, with intertwining lines of diamonds encircling a central emerald – believed to be a cabochon, one of the oldest and most treasured gemstone cuts, dating back to ancient times.
Celtic knots carry rich symbolism, representing strength, balance, and harmony, as well as eternal love and lasting bonds. It’s a particularly poignant choice for Queen Camilla, especially with this week marking her and the King’s wedding anniversary.
Pearl Choker
Estimated Value: £50,000
On Wednesday – the couple’s 20th wedding anniversary – Queen Camilla re-wore her civil ceremony dress.
Her Majesty accessorised her recycled outfit with a necklace that she’s frequently seen wearing to daytime events.
Camilla’s necklace features four strands of cultured pearls – cultured pearls are genuine pearls, produced by an oyster or mollusk, but with human assistance. Though cultured pearls are genuine pearls, they’re much less rare than natural pearls, which means that they’re worth less.
Linking the pearls is a round cluster of round Edwardian cut diamonds, with a combined weight of 3 carats. Edwardian jewellery represents femininity, making this a fitting piece for Camilla, who is a powerful and prominent social figure.
Turquoise & Diamond Necklace
Estimated Value: £150,000
At a state banquet in Rome on Thursday night, Queen Camilla dazzled in a captivating necklace of vibrant turquoise cabochons, each framed by shimmering diamonds and interspersed with graceful diamond fringes.
Nineteenth century creations, the necklace and matching earrings that Camilla often pairs it with are thought to be an inheritance from within her family.
Queen Camilla has been wearing both at important events since before her marriage to King Charles. In 1999, she wore them to the then Prince of Wales’ 50th birthday celebrations at Highgrove.
Cluster Earrings
Estimated Value: £850,000
Alongside her striking turquoise and diamond necklace, Queen Camilla also wore one of her favourite pairs of earrings at Thursday’s state banquet.
The diamond earrings, part of a demi-parure from the early years of her royal marriage, are most often seen paired with a matching necklace.
Their design features an elegant cluster of pear-cut diamonds, arranged in a delicate, artistic setting.
Greville Ivy Leaf Clips
Estimated Value: £32,000 each
Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla were granted a private audience with Pope Francis during their visit to the Vatican.
Queen Camilla wore the historic Greville Ivy Leaf Clips – an exquisite pair featuring a central brilliant-cut diamond surrounded by pavé-set ivy leaves in platinum, each piece steeped in royal history.
The first brooch was crafted by Cartier in 1930 for the Hon. Mrs. Greville, with an identical companion piece commissioned in 1937. The pair was later gifted to Queen Elizabeth II by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of her 21st birthday.
Their deep sentimental value was underscored decades later when Queen Elizabeth II chose to wear them for her Platinum Jubilee, marking the 75th anniversary of their presentation.
Square Brooch
Estimated Value: £20,000
On the final day of King Charles and Queen Camilla’s visit, they were joined by President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter Laura for a reception at the Town Hall of Ravenna, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the province’s liberation from Nazi occupation by the armed forces.
Queen Camilla, exuding elegance in a white and beige coat dress by Anna Valentine – worn previously in the couple’s official anniversary portraits – accessorised with a stunning brooch by Italian designer Lucia Odeschalchi.
Crafted from yellow gold and set in a striking square design, the brooch is encrusted with sparkling diamonds. It has not been seen on Camilla before, leading to speculation that it may have been a special anniversary gift.
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