Queen Camilla wears Queen Elizabeth II’s £30,000 glittering Shell Brooch and a necklace with her grandchildren’s initials on it during Kenya tour

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Queen Camilla opted for sentimental jewellery for her first day in Kenya – including Queen Elizabeth II’s glittering Shell Brooch and a necklace with her grandchildren’s initials on it.

The King’s wife, 76, wearing a stylish cream dress, was warmly greeted by Kenya’s President William Ruto and his wife First Lady Rachel Ruto at the State House in Nairobi during the first full day of her and King Charles’ tour.

Adding a touch of glitz to her ensemble, Camilla sported the Queen Mother’s Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell Brooch, which was also a favourite of Queen Elizabeth II’s.

As the name suggests, the brooch takes the shape of a shell made of rows of diamonds and a single pearl, while several strings of diamonds in varying lengths dangle underneath.

It was designed by Lord Courtauld-Thomson, son of a famous Scottish inventor, and made in 1919 in London by The Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Co., Ltd, before being left to Queen Elizabeth, the future Queen Mother, in 1944 by his sister, Winifred Hope Thomson. 

Queen Camilla (pictured) opted for sentimental jewellery for her first day in Kenya – including Queen Elizabeth II’s glittering Shell Brooch and a necklace with her grandchildren’s initials on it

Camilla’s treasured piece – which she has worn throughout her tour of Kenya so far – is a gold necklace (pictured) engraved with the initials of her grandchildren, born to her children Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes 

A prized possession, it was worn by the Queen Mother to mark her 100th birthday, and was left to Queen Elizabeth II when her mother passed away in 2002.

Her late Majesty wore her mother’s brooch to several special occasions – including the unveiling of the Queen Mother’s statue and to her granddaughter Zara’s wedding to Mike Tindall.

It’s not the first time Camilla has sported the item – she wore it during her appearance at Royal Ascot this summer.

While Queen Camilla is known to sport Royal Family heirlooms along with gifts from her husband King Charles, one piece of jewellery she is frequently spotted wearing surprisingly has no royal links. 

Camilla’s treasured piece – which she has worn throughout her tour of Kenya so far – is a gold necklace engraved with the initials of her grandchildren, born to her children Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes.

It is engraved with five letters to represent her grandchildren on her non-royal family’s side: ‘L’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘L’ and ‘E’ for Lola, Freddy, Gus, Eliza and Louis.

In the centre of the beloved pendant is a small circular ruby, which is the Queen’s birthstone. 

Meanwhile, the Queen yesterday told children to ‘explore’ the world as they do in story books, after sitting down for a fun-filled Kenyan story time.

Queen Elizabeth II, wearing the Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell Brooch, at the unveiling of a new statue of Queen Elizabeth (pictured, left) and at the Royal wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall in 2011 (pictured, right)

A prized possession, it was worn by the Queen Mother to mark her 100th birthday (pictured), and was left to Queen Elizabeth II when her mother passed away in 2002

Camilla, who is a passionate reader and advocate of literacy, joined pupils at Eastlands Library in Nairobi as they read passages from the popular children’s book Lion And Mouse by Catalina Echeverri.

She smiled broadly and gave them a huge round of applause at the end of their reading performance, delivered while sitting cross-legged on the floor.

‘You are all very good readers. Work hard and keep reading,’ the Queen told the 14 children.

Mary Kinyanjui, of Kenya National Library Service, said afterwards: ‘She encouraged them to continue to read and to explore more about the world as they do in story books.’

The Queen was at Eastlands Library to meet the founders of Book Bunk, a Kenyan charity that restores public libraries into ‘Palaces for People’.

Outside she paused to shake hands with delighted well-wishers and children.

Inside she was welcomed by Book Bunk founder and publisher Angela Wanjuka and author Wanjiru Koinange.

She met local performers and artists before viewing the library’s giant chess board and time capsule and greeting the  2021 Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition winner, Ms Kayla Bosire.

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