Queen Camilla and King Charles saw one of their horses race to victory on the third day of Royal Ascot
Queen Camilla was in luck when she wore something from Queen Elizabeth’s jewelry box on the third day of the Royal Ascot!
On Thursday, Queen Camilla and King Charles saw their racehorse Desert Hero gallop past the competition to win the King George V Stakes. The victory was especially sweet for the couple as it marked their first win at the first Royal Ascot of their royal reign. Charles, 74, and Camilla, 75, eagerly cheered from the royal box during the event, where she sparkled in a brooch that previously belonged to her late mother-in-law.
Though the Royal Ascot confirmed the connection earlier in the day, not much was mentioned about the provenance of the rectangular diamond pin.
“Her Majesty is wearing a pale green chiffon dress by Anna Valentine. Feathered hat by Philip Treacy and Diamond brooch that belonged to Queen Elizabeth II,” the Ascot tweeted about the details of Camilla’s outfit.
The brooch might look familiar, as Queen Camilla wore it for Christmas at Sandringham in December 2022.
Wearing the glittering clip was fortuitous for the newly crowned Queen on the third day of the Royal Ascot. She and King Charles beamed as they accepted the silver trophy for the King George V Stakes from Queen Elizabeth cousin the Duke of Kent and went to see Desert Hero after the win.
The couple also had the honor of presenting the prize for the Gold Cup, the oldest and most prestigious race of the Royal Ascot week.
Jockey Frankie Dettori was joyful after winning astride Courage Mon Ami, and the royals shared his smile.
The lucky brooch Queen Camilla wore on Thursday was her second heirloom jewelry statement this week. On Tuesday, the Queen poignantly pinned on the Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell Brooch for the first day of the Royal Ascot. The pin previously belonged to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and she passed it down to her daughter Queen Elizabeth.
The Queen Mother memorably wore the seashell-inspired brooch for her 100th birthday in 2000, and Queen Elizabeth would go on to sport it for special occasions, from an unveiling of a statue of her mother in 2009 to granddaughter Zara Tindall’s wedding in 2011. Queen Elizabeth also wore the scallop-shell brooch to the Royal Ascot in 2019, where her horse Sextant won two events, per Racing Post.
The Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth shared a passion for horse racing, which the late sovereign pursued with success at Ascot. Queen Elizabeth owned and bred many racehorses throughout her royal reign, and had an impressive 24 horses win at Ascot through the years. Following her death in September, her horse racing operation was passed down to King Charles.