The Queen wore a rarely-seen diamond and ruby brooch she received as a wedding gift for public engagement days before what would have been the Duke’s 100th birthday.
The monarch, 95, donned the glittering butterfly brooch as she held a virtual audience to receive Ambassador from the Republic of South Sudan yesterday.
The heirloom was a gift from the Dowager Countess of Onslow at her wedding to the late Prince Philip, in 1947 and is rarely worn by the royal.
The appearance from the Queen comes as she prepares to mark what would have been her husband’s 100th birthday tomorrow.
The Queen, 95, wore a rarely seen diamond and ruby brooch she received as a wedding gift for her first public appearance since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle named their daughter Lilibet
The rarely-seen glittering butterfly brooch features diamonds and rubies and was a wedding gift for the royal
The monarch has worn the piece less than a handful of times in the last couple of years, last opting for the brooch for a church service in Sandringham in 2019.
Before that, the Queen hadn’t worn the glittering brooch since 2012, when she wore the first to visit the Sandringham Women’s Institute.
On Tuesday, her Majesty conducted two virtual Audiences via video link from Windsor Castle.
She met with the ambassador from the Republic of South Sudan, Ms Agnes Oswaha, and with the High Commissioner for the Republic of Mozambique in London, Ms Albertina MacDonald.
The heirloom was a gift from the Dowager Countess of Onslow at her wedding to the late Prince Philip, in 1947 and is rarely worn by the royal
This week may be particularly poignant for the Queen, who tomorrow will mark what would have been Prince Philip’s 100th birthday.
The Duke died ‘peacefully’ on April 9, aged 99, Buckingham Palace announced at the time.
It comes amid a briefing war between Buckingham Palace and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex over their decision to call their daughter the Queen’s personal nickname Lilibet.
The Duke of Edinburgh referred to his wife as Lilibet, writing to his mother in law after their wedding: ‘Lilibet is the only ‘thing’ in the world which is absolutely real to me.’
It was revealed today Prince Harry and Meghan Markle did not ask the Queen for permission to name their daughter Lilibet.
Senior Buckingham Palace sources confirmed to BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond this morning that the Queen was ‘never asked’ her opinion on the couple’s decision to name their second child after her.
The monarch donned the glittering diamond and ruby butterfly brooch as she held a virtual audience to receive Ambassador from the Republic of South Sudan earlier this week
The bombshell briefing from senior palace aides refutes claims from sources close to Harry and Meghan who told the BBC and other media sources that the couple had asked the Queen for permission before naming their daughter Lilibet – the monarch’s nickname coined when she was a child.
But in another twist to an increasingly muddled saga, Omid Scobie, a close friend of the Sussexes, slapped down the BBC’s report just an hour later and insisted the Queen was the first person Harry called after the birth of his daughter.
Mr Scobie also said that the couple would not have used the name Lilibet if the Queen had not been supportive of the move.
On Tuesday, the Queen met with the ambassador from the Republic of South Sudan, Ms Agnes Oswaha, and with the High Commissioner for the Republic of Mozambique in London, Ms Albertina MacDonald
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed their daughter on Friday morning – before announcing her birth on Sunday – and made headlines after they named her Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
Sources close to the couple insisted they had discussed the new baby’s name with the Queen before the announcement but Buckingham Palace revealed to the BBC this morning that the monarch was not consulted.
In an extraordinary briefing war between the palace and the Sussexes played out through the BBC, Omid then said: ‘A Sussex source says that the Queen was the first family Harry called after Lilibet’s birth and during that conversation, he shared the couple’s hope of naming their daughter in her honor. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.
The appearance comes amid a briefing war between Buckingham Palace and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex over their decision to call their daughter the Queen’s personal nickname Lilibet
‘Those close to Prince Harry confirm that he spoke to close family before the announcement so perhaps this report highlights just how far removed aides within the institution (who learned of the baby news alongside the rest of the world) now are from the Sussexes’ private matters.’
Experts are split on how the Queen will view the tribute – some have claimed that Her Majesty will have been unhappy about the choice of name – others believe she will be touched.
Angela Levin told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that Her Majesty will be upset, adding: ‘I think she’s desperately unhappy because they were desperately rude about her. I don’t think it’s a good idea. I think it’s quite rude to her Majesty the Queen’.