The Royal Family are no stranger to a strategically-placed brooch – nothing happens by accident. The historic style trick allows the wearer to provide a nod towards (or show of support for) a location, event or topic, without ever saying a word. A more obvious heirloom example would be a diamond maple leaf brooch, worn by The Queen Mother on multiple trips to Canada. It was subsequently by her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II and The Princess of Wales, on visits of their own. The maple leaf is the national symbol of Canada, making it the perfect fit for the occasion to pay subtle homage.
getty
Left to right: The Queen Mother wearing the brooch in Canada in 1974. Queen Elizabeth II wearing it to visit Canada House for Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017. The Princess of Wales in Victoria, Canada, in 2016.
While we know the origin and meaning of pieces like the Maple Leaf Pin and many others, there are occasionally – but rarely – pieces of jewellery worn by members of the Royal Family of which much less is understood. Perhaps none have been worn as regularly and as pointedly as Princess Anne’s silver shield-style brooch (which she wore again on Saturday 14 February), while still presenting somewhat of a mystery.
Chris Jackson
Princess Anne wearing the “mystery” brooch.
Here’s what we do know. The brooch is a large, round disc made of silver and featuring engraving. The most striking feature of the piece is the jewel studding – four purple stones set as though on points of a compass at North, South, East and West. We also know that these are amethysts and that the brooch has an estimated value of around $5,000, according to jeweller Steven Stone, which is around £3,700.
Ross Parker – SNS Group
Princess Anne attends the Guinness Six Nations in February 2026.
Now, much of the Royal Family’s personal jewellery collection can be traced back to previous generations (Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth II’s grandmother, was a substantial collector) or poignant moments. Weddings, anniversaries and national moments are all prime times when monarchs and other members of the family receive poignant pieces. When it comes to Princess Anne’s silver and amethyst brooch however, the origin isn’t widely known and it seems no-one understands (at least publicly), quite where it came from.
However, while the origin isn’t clear cut, it’s association certainly is. Princess Anne has worn the brooch on a number of occasions, and always for events pertaining to rugby and often also Scotland. On her most recent visit, for example, Princess Anne wore the piece to congratulate the Scotland rugby team on their Calcutta Cup win in Edinburgh. She’s also worn it to other rugby associated events, including to appear on a podcast on the sport, The Good, The Bad and The Rugby, which is co-hosted by her son-in-law and former rugby player, Mike Tindall.
Chris Jackson
Princess Anne and The Prince and Princess of Wales attend a special recording of Mike Tindall’s, The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast, in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle in 2023.
So, while the brooch’s beginnings may remain a mystery, we know we can expect to see Princess Anne donning the valuable piece at other rugby events – Scottish or otherwise – in the future.
Related Stories