On Thursday, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain attended the annual Pascua Militar celebrations in Madrid. Letizia wore an heirloom brooch for the occasion—and nearly lost it in the process!
The ceremony, which was begun by King Carlos III in 1782, takes place every year on Epiphany. The day begins with a military review in the courtyard of the Royal Palace in Madrid, attended by the monarch and the prime minister as well as high-ranking military officials. Afterward, a reception is held inside the palace.
Queen Letizia always wears a long gown for the event, and this year, she added a jacket for warmth. Peeking out from beneath the second layer, you’ll spot an important royal jewel: Queen Ena’s Gray Pearl Brooch. The jewel is part of the joyas de pasar collection, which passes directly from monarch to monarch. In her will, Ena described the magnificent pearl and diamond ornament as a “broche con perla grande gris pálido rodeada de brillantes y del cual cuelga una perla en forma de pera,” a brooch with a large, pale gray pearl surrounded by diamonds, from which hangs a pear-shaped pearl. This is the second time Letizia has chosen the brooch for this event; she also wore it for Pascua Militar in 2019.
When King Felipe and Queen Letizia stepped on to the platform for the military review, Letizia quickly adjusted her jacket—and the pearl and diamond brooch fell to her feet. Luckily, Felipe clearly saw the brooch falling out of the corner of his eye, and he gallantly bent down to retrieve it.
Here you can see him carefully handing his great-grandmother’s brooch back to his wife. Letizia held the jewel in her hand during the rest of the military review. How in the world did it manage to fall? It must have something to do with the way that it was secured. Royal brooches are often pinned to gowns, but sometimes strong magnets are also used. Either way, the movement of the jacket was clearly enough to dislodge the brooch. (It happens. Remember Queen Margrethe’s recent pearl mishap?)
The brooch was back in its proper place on Letizia’s dress for the reception inside the Royal Palace after the review had finished.
With the brooch, Letizia also wore two other pieces of jewelry: the hoop portion of her Bulgari diamond and aquamarine earrings, and her oval Karen Hallam ring. If I’m not mistaken, I also see a second tiny diamond stud in her left earlobe. Perhaps a new second piercing? The right earlobe still only has one in the other pictures from the day.