As King Charles III and Queen Camilla embark on their US state visit, we look back at the meaningful story behind Queen Elizabeth’s American State Visit Brooch. Read all about it below.
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Many of the incredible jewels held in the Royal Collection are priceless heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation and bearing the most illustrious of histories.
One little brooch, however, boasts a slightly more modest background – though its meaning is no less sentimental and meaningful that many of its other, much grander peers.
Queen Elizabeth, wearing the American State Visit Brooch, with Barack Obama and Michelle Obama at Winfield House in May 2011 – CREDIT: Getty Images
Crafted from moss agate, 14K gold and a sprinkling of diamonds, the floral-shaped American State Visit Brooch is a vintage piece from the 1950s, and was gifted to the late Queen Elizabeth II by Michelle Obama in May 2011.
The-then First Lady had purchased the pin from a Washington antiques shop called Tiny Jewel Box (for a reputedly modest sum of $50) and presented it to the Monarch during a State dinner with her husband Barack at Buckingham Palace – a token of friendship and American craftsmanship in one.
Initially worried that her gift might not be splendid enough, Michelle Obama’s fears were soon allayed as the Queen insisted on wearing the piece right away, as Barack Obama later shared.
Speaking in a video tribute following Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022, the Former President recalled the Queen’s actions as indicative of her generosity of spirit. “[She had a] wry sense of humour and she could not have been more kind or thoughtful to me and Michelle,” he said at the time. “The queen was dressed up quite a bit for the state dinner. It was a little bit concerning for Michelle, because as a gift to Her Majesty, Michelle had selected a small, modest brooch of nominal value.”
Queen Elizabeth, pictured here at Windsor Castle in 2018 with Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, wearing the American State Visit Brooch again – CREDIT: Getty Images
The following evening, the Former First Couple hosted a reciprocal dinner for the Queen at the American ambassador’s official residence, Winfield House. “The one thing we immediately noticed is that [Queen Elizabeth] was wearing the brooch that Michelle had given her,” Obama revealed. “It was an example of the subtle thoughtfulness that she consistently displayed. Not just to us, but to everybody who she interacted with.”
The Queen notably wore the piece again on July 12, 2018, at an audience at Windsor Castle with Justin Welby, then Archbishop Canterbury, and Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar.
Much like her grandmother Queen Mary before her, Queen Elizabeth II was acutely aware of the soft power of an immaculately placed jewel. And of the enormous meaning that even tiny gestures can transmit to those around us.
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