The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have posed for a sweet portrait to mark Prince Philip's 99th birthday! The photograph - which was taken in the quadrangle at Windsor Castle on Monday - shows the royal couple dressed smartly, with Philip proudly wearing a Household Division tie. And it looks like Her Majesty chose a special outfit for the occasion, too, wearing a beautiful floral dress from Angela Kelly and her Cullinan V diamond brooch – which features an 18.8 carat heart-shaped stone at its centre. How lovely is that?
The Queen and Prince Philip released a new picture to mark the Duke's birthday
The monarch's incredible brooch is a very special piece in her collection – with a fascinating history, too. The Cullinan V originally belonged to her grandmother, Queen Mary. It is one of a number of stones cut from the famous 3,106-carat Cullinan - the largest diamond ever found.
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A close-up of the romantic Cullinan V brooch
The largest cuts from the incredible original stone - which was given to King Edward VII in 1907 as a symbolic gesture intended to heal the rift between Britain and South Africa following the Boer War – were set into the Crown Jewels.
The Queen wearing the incredible Cullinan III and IV brooch
Another brooch from the huge diamond, the incredible Cullinan III and IV Brooch, which features a square and pear cut from the original stone, is another special piece in the Queen's collection – which she has only worn a number of times. She memorably sported it during the 2018 documentary The Coronation, and the royal family refer to it fondly as 'Granny's chips'!
Wearing the Cullinan V brooch at fashion week
But the Cullinan V brooch is one that the Queen seems to return to for a number of occasions – she also wore it at Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's royal wedding in October 2018. It certainly seems to be a style she loves, even choosing it for her first appearance at London Fashion Week alongside Vogue editor Anna Wintour. It's FROW-worthy, that's for sure – what a piece!
