Queen Camilla dazzles in the Queen Mother's Cartier brooch at the Oman state visit

Queen Camilla paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother as she joined Prince William, King Charles, and the Princess of Wales in Windsor to kick off the Oman state visit on Tuesday. Her Majesty, who wears heirloom brooches as often as she will pick out a jewel from her own personal collection, wore a Cartier ruby brooch that once belonged to both of her predecessors – perfectly pairing it with her elegant red ensemble as she welcomed the Sultan of Oman to Windsor Castle.

The brooches originally belonged to the Queen Mother, who was famed for her love of rubies and was made for her in the 1940s by Cartier – a jewellery house with deep ties to the royal family. These floral clip brooches come as a pair, and while the Queen Mother preferred to wear them together, her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, would wear them solo and as a duo when she inherited the clips from her mother. Case in point? Christmas at Sandringham in 2009, when Her late Majesty paired the brooches with a red coat dress and matching hat to celebrate the season with the royal family.

It seems as though Queen Camilla may have taken her style inspiration from that look as she prepares to host the Sultan of Oman for the state visit today. But she was not the only royal who looked back through the royal archives to wear an heirloom brooch with a touching connection to her royal predecessors.

Catherine, Princess of Wales, made a sweet nod to Princess Diana with her choice of brooch. The future queen, who donned a dark green coat dress and matching fascinator for the occasion, stepped out in an extra-special piece known as the Queen Alexandra Three Feathers brooch. The jewel dates all the way back to 1863, when it was gifted to Princess Alexandra of Denmark on the occasion of her wedding to the Prince of Wales – who would go on to be crowned King Edward VII.

The brooch – which depicts the ostrich feathers that make up the Prince of Wales’ heraldic badge, surrounded by diamonds and emeralds – was given to Princess Diana when she tied the knot with Prince Charles while he was Prince of Wales. The jewels will have been gifted to Catherine when she was made Princess of Wales by King Charles in 2022 – a way of paying homage to the generations of women before her who have held the title, including her late mother-in-law.

The brooch comes with a drop emerald, which Catherine occasionally removes from the piece when she wears it – like when she wore it for a Commonwealth Day service in 2023. Princess Diana was known to remove and add the emerald to the brooch depending on her outfit, wearing it as either a pendant or a brooch. Queen Camilla has also been seen in the brooch as the wife of the Prince of Wales. And it seems that Catherine felt it was a fitting addition to her all-green ensemble for the Omani state visit today.

This evening, Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales are expected to join the royal guests at a state banquet in honour of the Sultan, who arrived at Stansted Airport on 19 October and was officially welcomed by Prince William earlier this morning.

The Sultan then made his way to the Royal Dais on Dachet Road in Windsor, where he was officially welcomed by King Charles and Queen Camilla as the sound of a Royal Salute was fired from the Home Park and the Tower of London. The trio then joined the Prince and Princess of Wales for a carriage procession to Windsor Castle – as has become tradition in recent state visits.

The King joined the Sultan in the Irish State Coach, while the Queen and the Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs were driven in the Scottish State Coach. As for the Prince and Princess of Wales, they were brought to the Castle in the Australian state coach, alongside the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and the Secretary General of the Diwan of the Royal Court.

This evening's banquet will likely see Catherine and Queen Camilla don tiaras and white tie for a regal display of pomp and ceremony – but it's safe to say that the pair have already pulled off a true royal coup de theatre in these historic heirlooms.