Meaningful State Visit Sapphires for Queen Camilla and Princess Catherine

The German state visit to Britain has officially begun, with both Queen Camilla and Princess Catherine wearing special brooches and gorgeous sapphires for the welcome ceremony in Windsor.
The Prince and Princess of Wales headed to Heathrow on Wednesday to greet President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany and his wife, Elke Büdenbender, at the start of their state visit to Britain.
The Waleses escorted the presidential couple to Windsor, where King Charles III and Queen Camilla were waiting to welcome them. Traditional military pomp and circumstance, national anthems, and a carriage procession followed at Windsor Castle.
Both of the royal ladies wore Prussian blue for the occasion. Queen Camilla wore an Anna Valentine coat and dress with a Philip Treacy hat, both in a color described by royal reporters as “sapphire.”
Appropriately, Camilla chose a special sapphire and diamond brooch from the family jewelry collection: Prince Albert’s Brooch.
The jewel was famously presented by Prince Albert to Queen Victoria on the night before their wedding in 1840. Queen Victoria wore it on her wedding day and treasured it for the rest of her life, designating it an Heirloom of the Crown in her will.
Prince Albert was, of course, born and raised in Germany, and his connection to Germany continued to be important even after he became a British prince. Appropriately, Queen Camilla wore the brooch for the first time in public during the state visit to Germany in 2023.
Princess Catherine got the royal blue memo for the start of the state visit as well, wearing an Alexander McQueen coat with a Burberry dress. We previously saw her wear this coat on Christmas Day at Sandringham in 2023.
Kate also wore sapphire and diamond clusters for the welcome ceremony: the double cluster earrings that belonged to her late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales. She kept the Wales theme going with her brooch, wearing the Three Feathers Brooch from Queen Alexandra’s Ladies of North Wales Suite. (We recently discussed its path of inheritance over at Hidden Gems.)
Catherine often chooses the Three Feathers Brooch for diplomatic moments when she is firmly ensconced in her role as the Wife of the Heir to the Throne. The jewel can be worn with or without a gorgeous emerald cabochon pendant, and Kate has worn it both ways.
There was one more sapphire touch to Kate’s welcome ceremony ensemble: her iconic sapphire and diamond engagement ring, another link to the woman who previously used the title of Princess of Wales.
Inside the castle, experts from the Royal Collection presented a curated display of objects linked to Germany and Britain’s shared history, and we got a glimpse of a few more jewels as well.
Queen Camilla wore another blue dress with her favorite four-row pearl and diamond choker, plus the Greville Ivy Leaf Clips that belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The Prince and Princess of Wales were also on hand to view the exhibited items, and they both seemed particularly engrossed in the details of this display.
Catherine added her five-row faux pearl necklace from Susan Caplan, most recently seen on Garter Day in Windsor, to her ensemble after removing her coat.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were present for the Royal Collection display as well. Sophie always seems particularly interested in the pieces shown.
She wore pieces of familiar jewelry with a dark dress for the occasion: diamond earrings from Chopard and a necklace with a pendant from Collins & Sons.
Stay tuned: we’ve got state banquet tiaras coming this evening at Windsor Castle!
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