Queen Camilla wears Queen Victoria’s pearls for State Opening of Parliament

Queen Camilla’s pearl-drop earrings carried a line of royal history when she and King Charles III travelled in State to the Palace of Westminster on 13 May 2026 to open the Session of Parliament. The pair began as a gift from Prince Albert to Queen Victoria in 1847, and Victoria left them to the Crown on her death in 1901 so future queens could wear them. For June birthstone readers, few jewels speak more clearly to sentiment and longevity than pearls with a documented royal pedigree.

The State Opening of Parliament is not just pageantry; The Royal Family describes it as the only regular event that unites the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Sovereign as the Crown in Parliament. The 13 May ceremony included a carriage procession, the Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, guards of honour and the separate conveyance of the Imperial State Crown, the Cap of Maintenance and the Sword of State to the House of Lords. In that setting, jewelry does more than accessorize. It signals continuity.

That is why the earrings matter so much. Pearl-and-diamond drops have a disciplined silhouette that suits state dress: they frame the face, catch light without overpowering a ceremonial gown, and remain legible in photographs taken across a chamber. Queen Elizabeth II wore Queen Victoria’s Pearl Drop Earrings at the State Opening of Parliament in 2004 and again in 2019, and she chose them for a state banquet in 2011 as well. Each appearance added another layer to a jewel already loaded with memory, turning it into a family signature as much as a royal ornament.

For modern heirloom pearl pieces, the royal example is instructive. Look for a clean drop shape, well-matched pearls, secure settings and metalwork that keeps the design elegant rather than busy. The strongest pieces have clarity of provenance and the kind of restraint that lets the pearl, not the setting, do the talking. Pearls promise softness, but when they pass from queen to queen, they also carry the harder-to-copy value collectors prize most: continuity.