This year's
state banquet for the visiting Mexican president didn't give us anything in the way of color for The Queen - white dress, white jewels, gold collar. Same old, same old. But the last incoming state visit from Mexico, for President Felipe Calderón from March 30-April 2, 2009, certainly did provide a more colorful banquet moment.
For the arrival ceremony (above), she stuck to her standards in the form of the
Queen Mother's Shell Brooch and a hat that will never not
be Madeleine to me.
And for the banquet, a dose of aquamarine!
The
Brazilian Aquamarine Parure is on full display here, with the tiara, necklace, earrings, and bracelet. All she was missing was the brooch. Just like the 2015 banquet, she wore the golden Grand Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle from Mexico, but unlike 2015, she also added the
Star of the Order of the Garter. (She seems to be decreasing the levels of insignia she wears for state banquets as the years go on, not that I can blame her. Can't be that comfy to wear.)
The Brazilian Aquamarine Tiara is not a favorite for me, but at this point, any dash of color is most welcome.
To finish out the trip, she waved farewell to the President and First Lady wearing what I believe is the
Pearl Trefoil Brooch.
The state visit coincided with the G-20 London Summit, which brought President Calderón to town in the first place.
President and Mrs. Obama got an audience prior to the reception The Queen hosted at Buckingham Palace and Mrs. O
hugged Her Maj (well, sort of), which seemed to bother a whole lot of people who aren't HM and didn't seem to bother HM at all. As tends to be the case.
But never mind that, this warrants a mention in this flashback for one important reason: the
Williamson Pink Diamond Brooch! Those world leaders didn't even know how lucky they were, getting a first hand glimpse of one of my favorite royal brooches.
Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, White House/Pete Souza via Wikimedia Commons
