Queen Camilla made some symbolic statements with her Easter
Sunday outfit pick this year and among the most striking was the
brooch she wore as she joined
the Royal Family at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor for the
morning service.

The Queen added a favourite diamond jewel to the bright red coat
she chose for the Easter Day event and it seems to have a
particular meaning for her, given its use in the past couple of
years.

The brooch in question has been called the ‘Raspberry Pip’ by
Buckingham Palace which gave it that name when Queen Camilla first
wore it publicly, at Christmas 2023. It’s believed to be a
reference to the shape of some of the jewels in the brooch but what
is most noticeable about this gem is its shape and that seems to
have influenced how The Queen has used it since starting to wear
it.

This gem is formed as a cross and it’s a very noticeable design.
The brooch extends out into four distinct points of a cross and
also contains another cross spanning the bridges of the jewel.

Given its shaping, it’s become something of a go to for Queen
Camilla at religious events. She first wore it for the Christmas
Day service in 2023 when it was seen sparkling on her beige coat as
she walked to church with King Charles and the rest of the Royal
Family. This was the first Christmas since the Coronation, when
Queen Camilla had been anointed and crowned at Westminster Abbey
alongside her husband.

The brooch was seen again at another church service at
Sandringham on a cold January morning in early 2025 when Queen
Camilla wore it for Sunday worship again.

However, perhaps its most significant use was in October 2025
when The Queen wore it for the visit to the Vatican in which she
and King Charles met the new Pope, Leo XIV.

Queen Camilla came dressed in black, as is traditional, and wore
a black veil held in place by a striking headpiece made of leaf
shaped pieces which echoed the focus in the Sistine Chapel service
she attended around care for the environment. But hew jewellery
also made a statement. The Queen chose the Raspberry Pip brooch
which she wore beneath the discreet ribbon which came with the new
honour she was given for the visit. Pope Leo appointed her a Dame
Grand Cross of the Vatican.

There was no doubt about the significance of the visit – this
was the first time that a British monarch and a Pope had prayed
together publicly since the Reformation of the 16th century. Queen
Camilla’s choice of the cross shaped brooch held a deep symbolism
and also added another chapter of history to the unusual piece.

The gem belonged to Queen Elizabeth II and several noted royal
jewellery experts, including The Court Jeweller, trace it
back to her maternal family. It’s believed this piece is the cross
brooch left to Queen Elizabeth, later The Queen Mother, by her own
mother, the Countess of Strathmore.

The jewel itself is rather elegant. It’s mostly diamonds
although there is some debate over whether the larger, yellow
stones in it are diamonds of that hue or topazes. Either way, the
gems have taken on a different significance in Queen Camilla’s
care.

For this is now very much a brooch associated with religious
events and has become symbolic, in some ways, of the Monarchy’s
link with faith. This Easter, that has been a contentious issue
with some criticism of King Charles for not issuing an Easter
statement. Instead, The King let his faith speak for itself. As
previously, he greeted Easter with the simple phrase that many
Christians use as the day dawns – He is Risen!

Meanwhile, Queen Camilla made her own, now usual, gesture to a
day of religious significance with a brooch that she has turned
into a new royal symbol.