• Queen Elizabeth II wore her beloved Duchess of Cambridge’s Pearl Pendant Brooch for five Christmas broadcasts.
  • The diamond and pearl piece dates back to the 1870s, when Princess Augusta debuted it in a portrait.
  • Elizabeth inherited it from her grandmother, Queen Mary. In 2022, she loaned it to Kate Middleton.

Queen Elizabeth II’s legendary brooch collection brought the sparkle around the holidays. The royal’s signature jewels dazzled year-round, but there was something special about the pieces she chose to don for Christmas festivities—including her annual Christmas broadcast. 

During the holiday season, Elizabeth leaned on her favorite pieces from her coveted jewelry box and the royal vaults, often bringing out heirlooms that paid a sentimental tribute to those not present for the year’s celebrations. For example, the Queen wore the dazzling heart-shaped Cullinan V Brooch while recording her 1974, 1975, 1999, and 2008 Christmas messages, per The Court Jeweller. Hewn from the world’s largest diamond, the Cullinan V once belonged to Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary, and has since been worn by Queen Camilla.

Among the other priceless baubles Elizabeth chose for her yearly messages were the Pearl Trefoil Brooch, the striking Jardine Star Brooch, and the romantic Grima Ruby Brooch. Yet her favorite may very well have been the (relatively) understated Duchess of Cambridge’s Pearl Pendant Brooch. Named after Elizabeth’s great-great-grandmother, Princess Augusta of Cambridge, the piece appeared in five of the Queen’s Christmas broadcasts.

Here’s everything to know about Queen Elizabeth’s favorite Christmas brooch, the Cambridge Pearl Pendant.

The brooch has been in the royal family since the 19th century.

Princess Augusta of Hesse-Cassel (1797 – 1889), circa 1820.

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While its exact provenance is unknown, the Duchess of Cambridge’s Pearl Pendant Brooch is known to have originated sometime before 1877. That’s the year it first appeared in an oil painting of an 80-year-old Princess Augusta, Duchess of Cambridge, done by artist Heinrich von Angeli. The painting is part of the Royal Collection Trust (RCT), with its official description mentioning “a jewelled diamond and pearl drop brooch” clasped around the princess’s neck.

In Hugh Roberts’s authorized history of Elizabeth’s jewelry collection, The Queen’s Diamonds, he theorizes that the Cambridge Pearl Pendant Brooch was likely created by crown jeweler Garrard—the same house which would create Princess Diana’s iconic sapphire engagement ring.

It features a large pearl surrounded by diamonds, with a detachable pearl pendant.

Queen Elizabeth II at her Christmas broadcast in 1971, wearing the Cambridge Pearl Pendant Brooch.

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Royals love their pearls, and Queen Elizabeth was no exception. Alongside her signature pearl necklaces, the late monarch favored brooches and tiaras with pearl elements. The Duchess of Cambridge’s Pearl Pendant Brooch features two pearls—a large central one flanked by approximately 14 diamonds, and a pearl pendant which can be removed.

When Elizabeth first wore the piece during a Christmas broadcast, in 1971, she paired it with a three-stand pearl necklace and matching pearl earrings.

Per UK jeweler Steven Stone, it’s worth an estimated £80,000 (about $106,000).

Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary, wore the brooch to Prince Charles’s christening.

Queen Mary wears the Cambridge Pearl Pendant Brooch as a necklace in 1948.

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The brooch’s namesake and original owner, Princess Augusta, passed the jewel to her daughter, Princess Mary Adelaide—although it’s unclear if she bequeathed it before or after her death in 1889. From Mary Adelaide, it passed down to her only daughter, Princess Mary of Teck, according to Women & Home.

Princess Mary Adelaide wearing the Cambridge Pearl Pendant Brooch circa 1885.

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Mary of Teck would become Queen, and Elizabeth’s paternal grandmother. Notably, she wore the Cambridge Pearl Pendant Brooch as a necklace at great-grandson Prince Charles’s christening in 1948, along with three delicate strings of pearls. Five years later, upon Mary’s death, the brooch went to Elizabeth.

Kate Middleton wears it in her first official joint portrait with Prince William.

Artist Jamie Coreth beside his joint portrait of the Duke & Duchess Of Cambridge in June 2022.

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A few months before Queen Elizabeth’s death, she loaned her beloved pearl brooch to granddaughter-in-law Princess Catherine. Kate Middleton wears the piece in her and husband Prince William’s first official joint portrait, per People. The Fitzwilliam Museum unveiled the painting in June 2022. It hasn’t been publicly seen since, but may one day make another appearance—perhaps during the most wonderful time of the year.