The Queen attended a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey commemorating the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, which marks the end of World War II in Europe following the surrender of Germany. Also present were The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, The Duke of York, The Earl of Wessex, and The Duke of Kent.
I confess I am surprised not to see another of The Queen Mother's brooches, or something a little larger, today. But one can never go wrong with a Cullinan chip, anyway.
Plenty of other family members were in attendance, though we did have a few notable absentees like The Countess of Wessex, who visited the Channel Islands yesterday to mark the anniversary of their liberation. (And wore another piece borrowed from The Queen's jewel vault while she was at it, by the way: the Ruby Floret Earrings.) Also present but not pictured here: The Duke of Kent.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh met some of their fellow World War II veterans after the service. Prince Philip now wears so many medals on his jacket they threaten to tip him right over, so naturally he had some comments on the other hardware on display. One of my favorite moments from the day.
And my other favorite moment: The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall reviewed the parade of veterans after the service, including one intrepid vet who spontaneously left his wheelchair behind to pop over and greet the royal couple.
The Duchess of Cornwall's brooch for the day paid tribute to a World War II veteran near and dear to her own heart: her father, Major Bruce Shand, a member of the 12th Lancers who fought in France and North Africa and was held as a prisoner of war. Her brooch belonged to The Queen Mother but has extra special significance to Camilla as it is the badge of the 9/12th Lancers. She also wore her Everyday Pearl Pendant Earrings and her Four Strand Pearl Choker with Small Diamond Clasp. Underneath her choker, she wore a thin gold chain with a "C" charm pendant.
