Princess Anne paid a loving tribute to her late mother during a royal visit to Uganda. The Queens daughter wore a sapphire and pearl brooch that once belonged to Her Majesty at a dinner she hosted for Yoweri K Museveni – the president of the Republic of Uganda – and his daughter Natasha at the state residence in the capital Kampala.
The event took place on Tuesday evening at the British High Commissioner’s residence in Uganda.
The Princess Royal, 72, is currently on a royal tour with her husband Sir Tim Laurence, 67, her first voyage of its kind since the Queen passed away in September.
At dinner, the princess wore a navy-blue silk-printed wrap dress and matching patent heels, along with Empress Maria Feodorovna’s sapphire brooch that she inherited from her mother.
The beautiful piece consists of a sapphire surrounded by two rows of diamonds and a removable pearl drop hanging below.
Crisscut Magazine has valued the brooch at £500,000, the Daily Mail reported.
It was first bought by the Princess of Wales in 1866 as a wedding gift to her sister Empress Maria Feodorovna, who died in 1928.
After her death, Queen Mary bought the brooch for £2,375, which Queen Elizabeth received upon her accession to the throne in 1952.
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She plans to return to the UK with Sir Tim on Friday, but before then the pair will spend time with female students completing the ‘Safe Way, Right Way’ training program for lorry drivers as part of her job at Transaid. .
The organization contributes to safe and sustainable transport and was co-founded 25 years ago by the princess together with Save the Children and The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT).
Princess Anne will return to work on November 1, as she will visit the restored Junk Yacht Boleh at Haslar Marina in Gosport, Hampshire.