The art of the brooch

The recent unveiling of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first joint portrait drew attention to a special piece of jewellery pinned to Catherine’s emerald green dress – the Duchess of Cambridge brooch. The pearl and diamond pendant brooch, on loan to the Duchess for the portrait sitting, has been a royal family heirloom since the mid-19th century. It was originally crafted by London jeweller Garrard for a previous Duchess of Cambridge, the German born Princess Augusta (daughter-in-law of King George III and grandmother of Queen Mary). Since then, the brooch has been passed down to the next generation in the royal line of succession, HM The Queen being its current custodian.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s choice of dress and accessories for her first official joint portrait reveals a lot about the image she wants to portray in the painting – something that has a more lasting place in history than press photography.