Audiences at Buckingham Palace

The Queen held audiences at Buckingham Palace.

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Can it really be that this is just the second time we've seen the Cambridge Pearl this year? And previously at an audience, too. Has it been sentenced to a year of hard time in the 1844 Room? I don't mind, to tell you the truth. At least it's one of the few that can usually be identified in these audiences.

Cambridge Pearl Pendant Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Gold Watch

Engagement and Wedding Rings

Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Barracks Visit

The Queen and The Prince of Wales made a joint visit to the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment at Hyde Park Barracks, where The Queen officially named the regiment's new drum horse, Perseus.

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For more: Express article, Zimbio gallery.

And thus our monthly theme continues, with even more badges and even more horses.

Sgt Paul Randall RLC/MoD/Crown copyright 2017

Household Cavalry Regimental Badges, one for the Life Guards and one for the Blues and Royals

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

HMS Sutherland Visit

The Queen visited HMS Sutherland, celebrating the 20th anniversary of her Commissioning, at the West India Dock, London.

PO(Phot) Owen Cooban/MoD/Crown copyright 2017

For more: Zimbio gallery.

The military visits continue but the badges take a brief break, as the Jardine Star returns from its summer vacation.

 Jardine Star Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

British Champions Day at Royal Ascot

The Queen visited Ascot Racecourse for the QIPCO British Champions Day.

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For more: Zimbio gallery.

This brooch seems to be on Ascot duty this year, appearing during the usual summer meeting and now again for Her Maj's annual autumn day at the races. It's a nice match for this very textured coat, no?

Small Pink and Diamond Brooch

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery 70th Anniversary

The Queen, Captain General, reviewed The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery on their 70th anniversary at Hyde Park, London.

Corporal Dek Traylor/MoD Crown Copyright

For more: Express article, Zimbio gallery.

Horses and the military, Her Maj was right at home for today's engagement. She even got to check up on the progress of one of her former race horses, Knock Castle; she gifted the horse to the Troop in August.

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As for the brooch, no surprise here: another regimental badge.

King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery Badge

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Audience at Buckingham Palace, and the 48th Highlanders of Canada Badge

The Queen held an audience at Buckingham Palace.

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Whenever there are two brooches at once, one is most likely a badge worn special for the occasion. Such is the case here, too.

Six Petal Diamond Flower Brooch (Thanks to lovely commenter Adelaide, we now have a likely provenance for this piece. Click back to read.)

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Gold Watch

Engagement and Wedding Rings 

The Queen was meeting a representative from the 48th Highlanders of Canada, so she popped on the badge she has from their regiment (which is enough her practice that we can count on it, even though we can't see it too well here). She is Colonel-in-Chief of the regiment.

The cap badge of the 48th Highlanders of Canada
Canadian Forces

The Queen's brooch is a platinum version of the regiment's badge, given to her in 1951 when she visited Toronto with The Duke of Edinburgh. She was photographed in it during a portrait session with  Ian Leslie Macdonald, where she also posed for a new official photo in the Maple Leaf Brooch for the 150th Anniversary of Canada's confederation. That portrait, and other interesting shots from the session (including a few of the brooches in their boxes), can be seen on the photographer's website.

Investiture at Buckingham Palace

The Queen held an Investiture at Buckingham Palace.

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Let me know if you spy any video of this one for brooch purposes...otherwise, we're in the dark. Update: With thanks to the Royal Spectator, looks like this was most likely the Cullinan V.

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace

Gold Watch

Engagement and Wedding Rings

Women's Royal Naval Service 100 Project Reception and Audiences at Buckingham Palace

The Queen and The Princess Royal attended a reception to mark the centenary of the Women's Royal Naval Service and the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps at the Army and Navy Club, London.

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For more: Zimbio gallery.

The Aqua Clips took her to church on her last Balmoral weekend, and now they're taking her right back to business in London. Surprising to see them twice in a row, but more surprising they still haven't been seen all that often this year.

Royal Family

Aquamarine Clip Brooches

Queen Mary's Button Earrings

Three Strand Pearl Necklace


The Queen also held audiences at Buckingham Palace today.
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The Queen getting back to her regularly scheduled London business = us getting back to our regularly scheduled brooch squinting business. I'm pretty sure this is the Pearl Triangle. (On another note, she picked up a new treasure today: a silver pumpkin from the Cambodian ambassador!)

Pearl Triangle Brooch


Of course, while all of this qualifies as business as usual, this week brought an announcement of a break in tradition: The Queen won't be laying her own wreath at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday this year. Instead, The Prince of Wales will lay her wreath while The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh watch from a balcony above, as Camilla, Kate, and other members of the Royal Family do.

This will be a significant change but it's one I'm glad to see. Her wreath was already made lighter for her in 2016, and watching her walk backwards down the small steps at the monument after laying it was making me a little nervous last year, you know? Pass it on, and she'll still be present for it all. A good compromise.