In reply to Mike's post below I mentioned that QEII had recently worn her Flower basket brooch for a virtual audience to receive credentials from new ambassadors.
QEII. 18 December 2020
We now have some additional information about this brooch.
Some time ago, Franck drew my attention to an item on the Court Jeweller site See http://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2020/09/a-flower-basket-brooch-mystery.html Thank you Franck!!
One of the Court Jeweller's followers, Aquamarine, had alerted the blogger to a find seen in a video: QEII, as Princess Elizabeth, was wearing the Flower basket brooch in 1939.
As everyone knows, Leslie Field, in her book on Queen Elizabeth's jewels, maintains that George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother gave the brooch to QEII to celebrate the birth of Prince Charles.
The images from the departure on 6 May 1939 of George VI and QEQM for their north American tour do show that QEII was wearing a brooch. The British Pathe video of the event indicates as Aquamarine said that QEII was wearing the Flower basket brooch.
The British Pathe video shows the royal family leaving Buckingham Palace in a brougham, arriving at Waterloo Station and then the formal ceremonies for the departure on the Empress of Australia for Canada.
Other photos and some stills from the British Pathe video.
At Waterloo Station
This photo has been flipped, I think.
At Waterloo Station
Detail from above photo
At Portsmouth
At Portsmouth
Onboard the Empress of Australia
Waving farewell at Portsmouth
It is the British Pathe video which gives the best view, I feel.
I feel that the evidence seems convincing, and that QEII was wearing the Flower basket brooch in 1939. Congratulations to Aquamarine for spotting this
The question still remains: if QEII wore the brooch in 1939 why wasn't it seen more regularly until after the birth of Prince Charles?
What do others think?
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