Queen Camilla stuns in £50,000 pearl necklace with poignant hidden meaning
Queen Camilla attended D-DAY 80th anniversary commemorations in Portsmouth - and chose to wear significant pieces of jewellery to reflect the occasion.
Queen Camilla carefully wore a selection of jewellery pieces with a touching meaning to pay tribute to those that risked their lives in battle as the D-Day 80th anniversary commemorations began in Portsmouth.
Alongside her husband, King Charles and the Prince of Wales, the three royals were seen chatting with veterans in the sunshine at Southsea Common.
The King spoke of the "eternal debt" we owe veterans ahead of tomorrow's anniversary and he paid tribute to the "courage, resilience and solidarity" shown.
Queen Camilla exuded elegance and wore a baby pink crepe coat dress by Fiona Clare, with poignant accessories, which experts say are estimated at a value of £50,000.
Throughout the day, Camilla also appeared overcome with emotion as crowds heard words from the Royal Navy and the King's appearance was his first public speech and most-high profile appearance since his cancer diagnosis.
Experts believe Queen Camilla used her jewellery to signal and pay tribute to those that risked their lives on D-Day, sending a poignant message. The D-Day operation of June 6, 1944, brought together the land, air, and sea forces of the allied armies in what became known as the largest amphibious invasion in military history. This morning, King Charles, Princess William and Queen Camilla joined crowds in Portsmouth to mark the 80th anniversary since the D-Day landings.
(Image: Getty)
Queen Camilla exuded elegance wearing a dusky pink crepe coat dress by Fiona Clare - with this designer having fast become a firm favourite for Camilla. Complementing the coat dress, Camilla also wore a matching Philip Treacy pink beret-shaped hat with a leaf design. Experts estimate the necklace Camilla wore to be worth an eyewatering £50,000. Jewellery expert from Steven Stone, Maxwell Stone said: "Pearls are among the most resilient gemstones, capable of withstanding immense external pressures without breaking. This made Queen Camilla's choice particularly heart-warming, as it served as a poignant tribute to the courage, resilience, and solidarity demonstrated by those who stormed the Normandy beaches on D-Day."
(Image: Getty)
Featuring four strands of curated pearls, they were linked by a round cluster of Edwardian cut diamonds. The necklace is a favourite of Camilla's as she first wore it to the Ascot Racetrack in October 2022. Maxwell added: "Queen Camilla’s necklace features four strands of cultured pearls. Though cultured pearls are genuine pearls, they’re much less rare than natural pearls, which will reflect in the overall value. The pearls are linked by a round cluster of round Edwardian cut diamonds, with a combined weight of 3 carats."
(Image: Getty)
The Normandy landings took place on June 6, 1944 and went on to lay down the foundations for the Allied victory. On Thursday, the King and Queen will head to Normandy to mark the occasion with veterans tomorrow. Prince William was also at today's event and will head across the Channel to mark 80 years since the largest seaborne invasion in history that saw thousands of soldiers killed.
(Image: Getty)
Hundreds of people gathered on Southsea Common in Portsmouth, Hampshire, to mark the occasion today. The city played a vital role in preparing for the invasion of the beaches of northern France in 1944, which became a turning point in the Second World War. Veterans, Royals and politicians were among the guests at the commemorations hosted by the Ministry of Defence and Queen Camilla was spotted talking to Rishi Sunak during the event. There was also a flypast by the RAF's aerial display team the infamous Red Arrows who flew overhead to commemorate sacrifices made.
(Image: Getty)