Recently Thomas drew my attention to a post on Instagram by @ianjshapiro at https://www.instagram.com/p/CdqChxRIc6x/ which has a note from Queen Mary to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. The note will be auctioned on 30 June 2022 by Spink Auctions, London https://www.instagram.com/spink_auctions/

I know a number of board members do not use Instagram so below is a copy of the note.





This note proves why QEII didn't wear the brooch until 2010.

It also raises the question of whether QEQM wore it during the Canadian leg of the 1939 North American tour.

Somehow, I suspect that the jewel wasn't to QEQM's taste, but perhaps she may have worn it.

I have to admit that I was stunned when I did a little research to make sure no one else had posted about this note previously to find that some were still querying the provenance of the brooch. I find that incredible as last year on 6 December 2021 @britishroyaljewels posted what looks like a black & white contemporary magazine image of the brooch.


In September 2020 Bryce drew our attention to the use of the brooch on a Canadian Mint coin https://mb.boardhost.com/historyroyaljewels/thread/1599937983.html