The Queen Wore A Diamond Brooch With A Long Royal History To Prince Philip’s Funeral

Apr 20, 2021

On Friday, April 9, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, passed away at the age of 99 years old. Not long before his death, the Queen's beloved husband was discharged from the hospital after spending several days there due to complications with an infection. Prince Philip's infection was reportedly not due to coronavirus, as he and the Queen were vaccinated in January of this year, according to BBC. Philip's passing ends his reign as the longest-serving royal spouse, having served alongside Queen Elizabeth II for 65 years and having been married to the monarch for 73 years in total.

Philip's funeral on April 17, 2021, was a quiet affair with only 30 people in attendance due to the coronavirus restrictions. Generally, a man of Philips's stature would have received a state funeral with a minimum of 800 people in attendance, but this could not happen due to the ongoing pandemic. The guestlist of 30 people only comprised of the closest royal family members, which naturally included Prince William and Harry, Kate Middleton and Queen Elizabeth, among other royals. 

Everyone wore black to the funeral, of course, but it's important to note that the women at the funeral were very particular about their accessories. Not only did Kate Middleton wear pearls, but Queen Elizabeth also decided to accessorize with a diamond brooch with a pearl. However, this is no coincidence. The tradition of wearing pearls is one with a long and rich history in the Royal Family. 

Read on to learn more about the tradition of royals wearing pearls during times of mourning, as well as the specifics behind Queen Elizabeth's diamond brooch. 

The funeral service itself began at 3 p.m. after a national minute of silence. The Dean of Windsor and Archbishop of Canterbury then received the coffin. It is there, in the chapel, where only a select group of royal family members were allowed to attend due to coronavirus regulations.

In light of Philip's death, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a period of national mourning leading up to the ceremony, according to Sky News.

“I think this funeral is absolutely about the Duke of Edinburgh,” Archbishop Welby said. “And in the hundreds of funerals, which I’ve taken, they have different impacts on people in different ways at the time and later. And this funeral is about looking at the duke’s life, being proud of that life. It’s about the fact that whatever is going on in the family that each one will be feeling a sense of loss.”

Following Philip’s funeral, the Duke of Edinburgh was buried at the Royal Vault of St. George’s Chapel — until the queen’s death. Once the queen has passed on, they will both be buried at King George VI memorial chapel, according to Sky News.

Philip, Elizabeth's husband, died at age 99 on April 9, according to a Buckingham Palace announcement. Having been married to the queen for more than 70 years, he was the longest-serving consort of any British monarch.

In Britain, flags around the country hung at half-mast that day to mourn the royal family’s loss.

“I hope that we will see this moment as something we share in the grief of this very, very hard year we’ve all gone through,” the Archbishop said. “And then we’ll say the best thing we can do is to do what he did in all his life: just get on with it.”

Since Philip's death, there have been a significant number of tributes and condolences pouring in, and though people were told to refrain from sending flowers to remain safe, a large collection of flowers, trinkets and cards are constantly piling up outside Buckingham Palace. It's no surprise then that important funeral attendees such as Kate have decided to tribute not only Philip, but also Elizabeth in her choice of accessories for the funeral on Saturday. In fact, nearly all royal ladies decided to don pearls on Saturday, and there's even an entire royal tradition behind it. According to The Court Jeweller, the tradition of wearing pearls during times of mourning dates all the way back to Queen Victoria. Although rules in Queen Victoria's time were much stricter, are still expectations as to which jewels are appropriate for a funeral. The general idea is that white or colorless jewels like diamonds and pearls don't sparkle as much as flashier colored jewels like emeralds and rubies. Not intended to catch the eye or steal the spotlight, wearing pearls and diamonds on top of the traditional dark and black mourning attire is custom for the Royal Family. 

Kate Middleton wore an iconic Japanese pearl choker that was worn by both the queen and Princess Diana, along with matching earrings. 

The queen wore her iconic three-strand pearl necklace with matching earrings, along with a diamond brooch. The Richmond Brooch was initially gifted to Queen Elizabeth's mother Queen Mary for her wedding in 1893. According to People, Queen Mary wore it often as a necklace, but Queen Elizabeth is often spotted donning it as a brooch, as she did for Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday. She had also previously worn it to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, as well as at other somber events such as the 2018 Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance which took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London.  

For Prince Philip's funeral, the queen wore the brooch without its detachable drop-pearl accent, and the gorgeous gem could be interpreted as a symbol of her love and devotion to her late husband. 

Isn't Queen Elizabeth's brooch such a sweet tribute to her husband? What do you think about the royal tradition of wearing pearls during times of mourning? Let us know your thoughts and be sure to pass this on to friends and family who are interested in learning more about the meaning behind the jewelry worn at the funeral on Saturday.