Queen Elizabeth's Silent Tribute to Prince Philip - Get the Story on Her Sentimental, Symbolic Brooch
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Victoria Jones - by Pool/Getty Images Queen Elizabeth meeting with the Ambassador from the Republic of South Sudan on June 8
Queen Elizabeth may be publicly keeping mum as she continues to privately mourn Prince Philip, but the jewelry she chose for a recent meeting spoke volumes about how the monarch is holding her late husband of 73 years close to her heart.
During a virtual meeting with Ms. Agnes Oswaha, Ambassador from the Republic of South Sudan, on Tuesday, the Queen accessorized a floral dress with the Onslow Butterfly Brooch, a piece of jewelry that has only been seen in public three times in the last decade.
The diamond and ruby brooch, in the shape of a butterfly was a gift from Dowager Countess of Onslow to the Queen at her 1947 wedding to the late Duke of Edinburgh. The timing of its re-emergence was symbolic just two days before what would have been the 100th birthday of the Queen's husband Prince Philip, who died on April 9.
Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images
The brooch was last seen in August 2019 when the Queen attended a church service in Balmoral. Prior to that, she wore it in Norfolk for a meeting at the Sandringham's Women's Institute in January 2012 and back in 2010 she wore it to receive President Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda at Buckingham Palace.
Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Chris Jackson/WPA Pool/Shutterstock Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in Nov. 2020
The Queen often chooses her jewelry to pay homage to a certain person or occasion. In a romantic nod to her husband, the Queen celebrated their most recent wedding anniversary last November by wearing her Chrysanthemum Brooch, a sapphire and diamond pin she wore for a series of portraits taken with him on their honeymoon in 1947.
On Wednesday it was revealed that the Queen accepted a special rose from the Royal Horticultural Society, the U.K.'s leading gardening charity, in honor of her husband's centenary.
Listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day for more on how Queen Elizabeth is paying tribute to Prince Philip on what would've been his 100th birthday.
Planted in the gardens at Windsor Castle in his memory, a portion of the money raised from sales of the Duke of Edinburgh Rose sold will go to The Duke of Edinburgh's Awards Living Legacy Fund.
The monarch, who has been staying at Windsor Castle amid the pandemic, will be marking Philip's birthday "privately," a palace source told PEOPLE.
