A very interesting article, thank you 992234177!

While I know so very little about military insignia, badges and orders, it it a topic which is fascinating, one which I wished I had followed more closely and understood. But, my knowledge is woeful!!

From the little I know I suspect that there are several brooches/badges of the Brigade of Guards (or what ever title is currently in vogue) in the royal collection.

These are --

1. The large brooch which HM, QEII now wears most years for the Trooping of the Colour. Most commentators seems to believe that this badge/brooch initially belonged to Queen Mary, and photographic evidence would suggest that this is so.


QEII wearing the brooch/badge in question in 2012.


2. A smaller brooch/badge which both QEII and perhaps Queen Mary have worn on occasion.

QEII with the smaller brooch/badge in 1989. I first noticed QEII wearing this smaller brooch as depicted on the website, The Crown Chronicles, for which 992234177 provided the link above.




I would like to note that the first image I have of Queen Mary wearing the large badge/brooch which I have found is of HM in 1931.

Queen Mary wearing the large brooch/badge in 1931.


After 1931 there are photos of Queen Mary wearing this brooch at the annual Trooping of the Colour.

What I don't currently have any information on is when Queen Mary acquired the jewel. I have never done a search in the newspapers or any archives.

The Crown Chronicles website for which 992234177 gave us the link about the Guards brooch/badge has photos showing Queen Elizabeth II wearing a smaller badge.brooch in 1989.

QEII in 1989


The authors asked if the brooch/badge was the large one worn by Queen Mary or if perhaps QEII was wearing the smaller one given to Princess Mary, Princes Royal, Countess of Harewood by the Brigade of Guards for her wedding in 1922, and the authors gave a link to Ursulas's website highlighting that such a jewel was given to Princess Mary.
The Crown Chronicles. https://thecrownchronicles.co.uk/jewels-and-jewellery/the-queens-jewellery-guards-badge/

Ursula's Royal Magazin website with the information about the Guards gift https://royal-magazin.de/england/mary-lascelles-harewood/princess-royal-diamonds.htm

I have read the above websites very carefully, and a number of others. None of them ever seems to have realised that more than one copy of the smaller brooch/badge existed.

I don't think that QEII was wearing Princess Mary, Princess Royal's brooch/badge in 1989. Rather I think that QEII was wearing either one given to Queen Mary prior to her receiving the larger brooch, or, most likely, was wearing one given to Queen Alexandra in 1863.

I don't have, so far, any press clippings showing the brooch/badge given to Queen Alexandra, but there are numerous press reports of the ball given by the Guards Brigade in 1863. They attest to the brilliance of the ball, but of those I have taken cuttings of, I haven't seen any reference to, or a sketch of, a regimental brooch/badge.


Nevertheless, the press reports of the various wedding gifts given to Princess Mary, Princess Royal prove that she was given a badge/brooch/pendant by the Brigade of Guards.

What I find most interesting is that some of the reports specifically state that the jewel given to Princess Mary, the future Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood state that the Guards' gift was modelled on one given to Queen Alexandra in 1863.

One report


with an accompanying image


Some of the reports from the wedding of Princess Mary, Princess Royal in 1922 suggest that either the brooch given to Queen Alexandra may have been returned to the Brigade of the Guards in 1920 or that the Brigade may have given such a brooch to Queen Mary in 1920.

I have never yet gone back to try to sort out the mystery.

I hope that others might do that research. Perhaps some of the answers will be in the archives of the various Guards regiments or even the media.

Whether QEII might have worn the smaller brooch belonging to Princess Mary, Princess Royal or to Queen Alexandra or Queen Mary in 1989 is yet to be determined, but I suspect it might be the one belonging to Queen Alexandra.