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Queen Elizabeth II Dons Turquoise and Diamond Brooch for Speech
The historic broadcast called for an equally historic jewel.
On April 5, Queen Elizabeth II made a rare televised address and donned some spectacular jewels.
New York—As the coronavirus pandemic keeps many confined to their homes, public figures have emerged as lifelines, providing updates on the outside world and guidance on how to navigate the crisis.
In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo has become a voice of reason for many residents of the coronavirus-embattled state, providing much-needed messages of hope alongside troubling statistics.
In the United Kingdom, as the condition of Prime Minister Boris Johnson worsened, Queen Elizabeth II emerged as a uniting figure over the weekend, delivering a rare televised address on Sunday.
It was only the fifth time she’s done so during her 68-year reign, outside of her annual Christmas telecast.
In a speech largely praised across social media, the queen noted: “We will meet again,” and likened social distancing to the trials of eras past, as when British families commonly evacuated children from large cities during World War II.
Across the internet, some read into the queen’s choice of attire as sending more messages than just what was communicated via her address.
The green dress was hypothesized to represent solidarity with health-care workers, as it’s a shade similar to medical scrubs.
The significance of the queen’s brooch, however, is less apparent.
What has been confirmed by various outlets is the history of the turquoise and diamond jewel.
It originally belonged to Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth II’s grandmother. Queen Mary, then Mary of Teck, received the brooch as a wedding gift in 1893 upon marrying the Duke of York and future King George V.
She got it from her new husband’s parents, Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark, who became king and queen consort a few years later.
Upon Queen Mary’s death in 1953, she left the brooch to her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II.
Whatever the queen’s reason for donning such a vibrant accessory, it stands to reason that she was using a piece of her family’s history to call upon the U.K.’s long track record of weathering crises.
See her speech below.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily) on Apr 5, 2020 at 12:01pm PDT
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