The jewelry she wore was a gift from her beloved parents.
The Queen has conducted her first major official engagement on Tuesday since losing her husband, Prince Philip. This was her first significant public ceremonial duty outside of Windsor Castle. The 95-year-old monarch attended the State Opening of Parliament in Westminister alongside her son Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Despite having her son, the future King, by her side, Prince Philip's absence served as a poignant reminder of the Queen's tragic loss.
Donning a blue dress and matching hat, Queen Elizabeth II looked as beautiful as ever. She also added the Aquamarine Clip Brooches to her attire, which were a sentimental gift from her parents, reports Hello Magazine. The Queen traditionally wears full ceremonial regalia which includes a long crimson velvet Robe of State and the Imperial State Crown. However, in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this year's pomp of the ceremony has been skipped in line with the government guidance.
Speaking of sentimental memorabilia, just a day previously, the Queen attended a virtual engagement with the Royal Life Saving Society, which is the U.K.'s leading provider of water safety and drowning prevention education. She was seen wearing a pretty shirt and cardigan in one of her favorite colors- purple. Her radiant look was complete with a pearl necklace and matching earrings.
In the due course of the video call, the monarch recalled receiving a special award from the Royal Life Saving Society during her teenage years. It was 1941 and Queen Elizabeth II was just 14 when she was awarded her junior respiration award, having completed her training at a club in London, where she and her sister, Princess Margaret, attended swimming lessons.
During the May 6 virtual chat, her Majesty learned that she was the first teen to have earned the award 80 years ago. "I didn't realize I was the first one — I just did it and had to work very hard for it!" she said adding how the badge was sewn onto her swimsuit. "It was a great achievement and I was very proud to wear the badge on the front of my swimming suit. It was very grand, I thought," continued the monarch.
On Monday, Buckingham Palace released a statement noting that the then-Princess Elizabeth became the first young person in the Commonwealth of Nations associated with the U.K. to obtain the Society's Junior Respiration Award, "providing an example to young people and helping to establish lifesaving and resuscitation qualifications across the network of nations."
📸 80 years ago, as Princess Elizabeth, The Queen became the first young person in the Commonwealth to achieve the @rlsscw Junior Respiration Award.
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 10, 2021
This helped to establish lifesaving and resuscitation qualifications across the network of nations. pic.twitter.com/fWTnnYYg8d
The Queen virtually presented Dr. Stephen Beeram, in Nanaimo, Canada, the King Edward VII Cup. Dr. Beeram was the recipient of the Society's 2020 King Edward VII Cup, which is awarded every two years to recognize one's outstanding contributions to drowning prevention. Dr. Beeram has highlighted drowning as a major public health issue during his more than 40 years of work. He has undertaken research on ground in countries that are the hardest hit and has also implemented Canada's first Drowning Prevention Plan, according to PEOPLE.
"I'm very delighted to be able to present you with this cup – a very large cup, which one day you might see if you come to London," the monarch told Dr. Beerman as she virtually presented him the award. In 1891, the Royal Life Saving Society was founded in response to hundreds of preventable drownings that were happening in the U.K. at the time. Every year an estimated 235,000 people die by drowning, which is one of the biggest causes of preventable deaths in the world.
During the call, the Queen was joined by Clive Holland, Deputy President of the Royal Life Saving Society, and lifesavers Sarah Downs of Exter, U.K., and Tanner Gorille of Cape Town South Africa. Both Down and Gorille received the Society's Russell Medal for saving a life via resuscitation after sharing their respective rescue efforts.
References:
https://people.com/royals/queen-elizabeth-first-junior-respiration-award-life-saving-moment/
Cover image source: Getty | Photo by Richard Pohle - WPA Pool/Getty Images
