How Princess Anne Is Paying Tribute to Her Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, on Her Royal Tour of Uganda
Princess Anne is currently visiting Uganda with her husband, Tim Laurence. The younger sister of King Charles III is on her first royal tour since the death of their mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September. And during the trip, Princess Anne paid tribute to her late mother by wearing special pieces of jewelry.
Princess Anne wore a distinctive brooch to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth during her royal tour of Uganda
During her royal tour, Princess Anne attended a dinner at the British High Commissioner’s residence in Uganda. For the occasion, the Princess Royal wore a navy silk printed wrap dress that she accessorized with a distinctive sapphire and pearl brooch.
The eye-catching piece belonged to Anne’s late mother, and it features a sapphire encircled by two rows of diamonds. It also has a removable pearl droplet that hangs delicately underneath. The fine jewelry experts at UK retailer Steven Stone shared that the brooch has a lot of history behind it, dating back to the mid-19th century.
It was purchased by the Princess of Wales (who later became Queen Mary) in 1866 as a wedding present for her sister, Empress Maria Feodrovna. Then, she bought it back from her sister’s estate when she died.
“It’s heartwarming to see Princess Anne paying tribute to her late mother through her jewelry – particularly such a historic piece. The brooch originally belonged to Empress Maria Feodorovna and was reportedly bought by Queen Mary,” explained jewelry expert Maxwell Stone.
Queen Elizabeth II wore the brooch numerous times
Stone says that when Queen Elizabeth inherited the throne, her grandmother’s brooch was passed down to her. It quickly became one of the most popular pieces in her brooch collection, and she wore it numerous times during her 70-year reign.
“The eye-catching piece features a sugarloaf cabochon sapphire, encircled by two rows of diamonds and has a removable pearl droplet that hangs delicately underneath,” Stone says. “The incredible sapphire and intricate diamond detailing would give this piece an estimated value of over $580,000 (£500,000).”
Princess Anne wore a gold ribbon brooch she’s owned since 1969
While celebrating the partnership between Uganda and the United Kingdom — and meeting with UK charities that operate in the African country — Princess Anne wore another spectacular brooch that she’s had in her jewelry box since the 1960s.
For the event, the Princess Royal wore her gold ribbon brooch, which takes the form of a loosely-knotted ribbon and is made of gold studded with diamonds. She has owned this piece of jewelry since February 1969, when she wore it to meet with Colonel Frank Borman — commander of the Apollo 8 mission — at Buckingham Palace. Since then, the princess has worn the brooch to events like the annual Royal Ascot races, Easter Sunday services, and a trip to Washington DC.
“Princess Anne is certainly showcasing some spectacular looks during her Royal tour to Uganda – and her jewelry choices have been oozing with sentiment,” Stone said.
The Princess Royal often pairs the gold ribbon brooch with her iconic Grima Pearl earrings, and it has an estimated worth of $40,000.
