Kate Middleton Wore a Delicate Brooch With a Touching Connection to the Late Queen

The Princess of Wales wore a replica of one of Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite brooches as she joined Prince William at a St. David’s Day military parade at the Combermere Barracks, Windsor. Kate Middleton, 41, wore a delicate silver leek pinned to the lapel of her scarlet coat.

First designed for Queen Elizabeth II in 1960, the original Welsh Guards Leek Brooch was presented to the monarch as a regimental gift funded by the guardsmen themselves. She wore it to almost every engagement involving the Welsh Guards. Replicas of the brooch are owned by other members of the royal family. Diana, Princess of Wales, wore a leek brooch while watching a parade of the First Battalion of Welsh Guards in London in 1990, while the queen consort wore a brooch on her first visit to Wales following the death of the queen. It is unclear exactly how many leek brooches are in existence, and who has one in their jewelry collection.

The silver leek provided the perfect counterpoint to the Princess of Wales’s bold ensemble, which was finished with black leather gloves and a black hat.

The royal couple met the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards in William’s first visit since becoming colonel of the regiment. During the parade the prince presented leeks to the officers and guardsmen who in turn issued them along the ranks, a traditional part of the St. David’s Day Parade, before the ceremony concluded with a march past where William took the royal salute. The prince and princess then met families from the regiment as well as a group of troops from the 5th Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR), who are currently in the UK helping to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

During the event the Prince of Wales delivered a speech in which he touched upon his time in the armed forces: “Another key milestone in my life was also shared with the Welsh Guards, this time in the jungles of Belize as I received my A-level results over the Bowman Radio…. Many of you will know the feeling of being in the jungle; you’re incredibly hot, continuously soaking wet and with nowhere to hide from potentially horrendous results, it could have been a really bad day! Ultimately though, it was the camaraderie, the togetherness, and of course the banter of the Welsh Guards that got me through that period, and it’s a time I look back on fondly.

“I believe it’s only with these bonds and this ‘togetherness,’” he continued, “that you can create a strong body of professional soldiers, but of course, it’s not just each other that we rely upon. The support of our families, our friends, and our loved ones, is vital, and I’m so pleased to see many of them here today. None of us could do what we do without their support, and I look forward to meeting you and your families over the coming years and getting to know you all.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales are carrying out a number of engagements to mark St. David’s Day, which takes on particular importance this year in the wake of their new titles. Yesterday the couple visited local organizations in Wales.

Fresh from channelling Princess Diana in a Catherine Walker houndstooth coat over the weekend, Kate opted for more of the pattern as she arrived at the Brynawel Rehabilitation Centre, near the town of Pontyclun, on the first stop of their whirlwind schedule. She debuted a new houndstooth midi skirt by royals-approved high street retailer Zara, which she paired with custom pieces from two of her favorite designers: a bespoke Alexander McQueen coat and black boots by Gianvito Rossi. The look was finished with a black Mulberry handbag and delicate faux-diamond earrings by Heavenly London.