But while the provenance of the brooch is unknown, its symbolic meaning seems clear. Moonstone is said to represent ‘balance and calm’, with many cultures believing that it brings a soothing energy to stressful occasions and helps to stabilise fraught emotions. An understandable desire, considering the headlines surrounding Prince Andrew over the weekend.
There have long been calls for Buckingham Palace to take action against the Prince over his links to the convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. The pressure culminated on Friday with the King’s brother announcing that he would no longer use his Duke of York title and would give up his membership of the Order of the Garter, Britain’s oldest and highest order of chivalry. In a statement announcing the news, the Prince continued to ‘vigorously deny the accusations’ made against him.
‘In a discussion with the King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family,’ the statement read. ‘I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first.
‘I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life. With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.’
