The Queen’s anniversary brooch is more sentimental than you think

You might have missed it, with everything happening in the world right now, but Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip celebrated a major milestone at the end of November: their 73rd wedding anniversary.

As is custom with such events, the pair released an official portrait taken at Windsor Palace, where they have been isolating since the beginning of the pandemic - though they did have a brief stint at Sandringham in between the lockdowns.

In the portrait, the Queen wears one of her signature colours, blue, in the form of a powder blue dress, which she's accessorised with a pearl necklace and her sapphire and diamond brooch, known as the Chrysanthemum brooch for its floral shape.

The piece of jewellery is rather sentimental as she famously wore it for a series of portraits with her then new husband Prince Philip in 1947, on their honeymoon at Broadlands. The pair even recreated those shots for their 60th wedding anniversary at the same location (pictured above), in which the Queen also wore the brooch.

It has served her well during her lifetime, having been worn at several official events as well as portraits, such as the October 1950 family photo for baby Princess Anne's christening.

As for the origins of the brooch, it is thought to have been a present to the Princess before she ascended the throne, received when she launched an oil tanker in 1946.