Queen Camilla joined King Charles to mark Holocaust Memorial Day at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, January 27, attending a reception with Holocaust survivors and their families. The Queen, wearing a navy dress, accessorized with a piece of jewelry that hasn't been seen since Queen Elizabeth II's funeral: Queen Victoria's Hesse Diamond Jubilee Brooch.
The heart-shaped diamond brooch with sapphire accents was gifted to Queen Victoria in 1897 to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee, marking 60 years on the throne. While Queen Camilla has worn the piece on several occasions, including the late Queen's 2022 funeral, jewelry expert Nilesh Rakholia says Camilla's decision to wear it on Tuesday was a deliberate and meaningful one.
"Jewelry worn on occasions like Holocaust Memorial Day is never decorative," Rakholia, the founder of U.K.-based jeweler Abelini, tells Marie Claire. "It functions as a visual language of remembrance, continuity and restraint."
Rakholia adds that for Camilla, "Choosing a piece rooted in one of the longest reigns in British history subtly reinforces the idea of remembrance across generations—an acknowledgement that history must be carried forward, not distanced.”
The jewelry expert continues that the brooch's design is especially fitting for the occasion. "The heart motif is significant," he says. "In royal jewelry, hearts often represent empathy, duty and human connection rather than romance."
Although the sapphire and diamond design is certainly striking, Rakholia points out that it's rather "restrained" as compared to other royal brooches. “She is acutely aware of context," he says of Queen Camilla. "On commemorative occasions, she avoids overtly grand or immediately recognizable heirlooms. Instead, she selects pieces that carry meaning without demanding attention. The absence of excess is intentional.”
The King and Queen met Holocaust survivors and their descendants during the reception, and also viewed a series of portraits of seven Holocaust survivors, all honored for their services to awareness and education. The paintings were commissioned by King Charles when he was the Prince of Wales and are currently display in the East Wing of Buckingham Palace.
As part of the commemorations, Queen Camilla and King Charles lit candles together in a symbolic act of remembrance, and they also met with representatives from some of their patronages dedicated to Holocaust education.
