Princess Charlotte's Horseshoe Brooch Has Been in the Royal Family for Generations

To her great-grandmother's funeral, Princess Charlotte wore her first-ever brooch. It had special significance, too: the brooch was in the shape of a horseshoe, a tribute to Queen Elizabeth's longtime passion for all things equestrian. The diamond horseshoe was gifted to the princess by Queen Elizabeth.

The brooch once belonged to the Queen's mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. She was first pictured wearing the diamond horseshoe in 1929:

The late British monarch was known to love horses; she had her first riding lesson at age three, and was often spotted on horseback over the years, even into her 90s. Notably, in her 96th birthday portrait, the Queen was pictured with two of her ponies.

Princess Charlotte seems to have inherited her great-grandmother's love for horses, also learning to ride when she was young.

"I asked her how the children were, and she said Charlotte is really enjoying her riding which is great to hear," Natasha Baker, a decorated Paralympic Equestrian, shared in 2018 about speaking with Kate. "She emphasized that Charlotte has this passion for horses and although she doesn’t echo it, she’ll do her best to champion and encourage it."

Other members of the Queen's family also have a passion for horses, and have nodded to it throughout the week of events mourning Queen Elizabeth. When Queen Elizabeth's eight grandchildren stood vigil at her coffin, the Queen's granddaughter Lady Louise Windsor also wore a piece of equine jewelry: She wore a necklace with the silhouette of a horse head.

Louise wore the necklace, again, for the Queen's funeral.

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