The Queen was snapped wearing a meaningful brooch as she made a public appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony during the Platinum Jubilee finale this weekend.
Her Majesty, 96, often wears meaningful or sentimental brooches from her vast collection during public occasions.
The jewellery she picked for yesterday’s appearance was one of her most famous – her bow brooch – which used to belong to her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
It is one of a collection of three bows, commissioned by the monarch in 1858 and crafted by Garrard, all encrusted with diamonds from her personal collection.
The bow brooches are heirlooms of the Crown, which means they get passed down from monarch to monarch.
The Queen, 96, wore the historical bow brooch for her Buckingham Palace appearance during the finale of the four-day Platinum Jubilee celebrations
The famous bow-shaped pin (pictured) is one of a collection of three commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1858. As heirlooms of the Crown, they are passed down from monarch to monarch
Queen Victoria, the Queen’s great-great grandmother commissioned the bow brooches in 1858. They were crafted by Garrard and featured diamonds from her own collection
While Queen Victoria reportedly liked to wear the collection of the three brooches, which featured one larger and two smaller pieces, all at once, the current monarch usually opts to wear just one at a time.
Yesterday, her Majesty paired one of the sparkling brooches with an all-green outfit and a string of pearls.
As common in recent times, she was seen holding onto a walking stick as she made the public appearance.
After appearing on the first day of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations last Thursday, her Majesty was absent from the proceedings on Friday and Saturday, amid ongoing mobility issues.
However, she was able to appear in person yesterday, for the closing of the four-day royal extravaganza.
Her Majesty took to the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Platinum Pageant, which told the story of her life, and the nation.
There, she was greeted by the cheers of tens of thousands of spectators, who had gathered in the hopes of spotting the 96-year-old.
Camilla, Prince Charles, Prince George, Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Kate stand with the Queen during the Platinum Pageant on June 5
During the three minutes she was on the balcony, expert Judi James explained, the Queen was using ‘all her will power’ to avoid breaking down in public for the first time in her life
The Queen (pictured on the balcony) is believed to have ‘struggled to not be overcome by tears’ as she gave her address to thousands of admirers on Buckingham Palace balcony, a body language expert has said
They were rewarded by the sight of the Queen standing on the balcony accompanied by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as Prince William, his wife Kate Middleton, and their three children George, Charlotte, and Louis.
As the crowd sang ‘God Save the Queen,’ at times, the monarch appeared a little emotional.
Body language expert Judi James told MailOnline that the Queen was using ‘all her will power’ to avoid breaking down in public for the first time in her life.
She said the clear signs of this could be seen in the Queen’s eyes and her lips being ‘sucked’ as she stood on the most famous balcony in the world.
Judi James explained: ‘Forget some of the rare occasions when the Queen has been judged to be crying in the past, they have often involved nothing more than moist eyes which can be prompted by the cold weather or even age.
‘This balcony appearance produced more congruent signs that she might have been struggling not to be overcome by tears.
‘This balcony appearance produced more congruent signs that she might have been struggling not to be overcome by tears,’ Judi James said
Revellers react as Queen Elizabeth II appears on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, Sunday June 5
‘Her eyes narrowed, with a lifting of the under-eye and she sucked her lips in to suggest she was using all her will power to avoid breaking down in public for the first time in her life.’
The Queen said later in her message: ‘When it comes to how to mark seventy years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee.
‘While I may not have attended every event in person, my heart has been with you all; and I remain committed to serving you to the best of my ability, supported by my family.
‘I have been inspired by the kindness, joy and kinship that has been so evident in recent days, and I hope this renewed sense of togetherness will be felt for many years to come.
‘I thank you most sincerely for your good wishes and for the part you have all played in these happy celebrations.’
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