The Queen has the most opulent and enviable collection of jewels in the world and she certainly knows how to wear them. Watching her at the Royal Wedding yesterday revealed some clever tricks that the Queen employs when stepping out in her jewels. First of all the choice of jewels speaks volumes. As it was a morning wedding, a tiara was not appropriate and hats were the order of the day. In keeping with a daytime look, the Queen's jewels were pitched just right. Pearls around her neck and matching pearl drop earrings sat discreetly against her not so discreet buttercup yellow dress. But where the Queen shows her jewellery savvy is in the choice of wearing a brooch. The brooch is the True Lovers' Knot that she inherited from Queen Mary in 1953. The flowing lines of the bow are reminiscent of a loosely tied ribbon and you can almost imagine it moving. The Queen wears bright colours so that she can be easily spotted and high-voltage diamond jewels add to this effect. This follows the tradition of regal jewels that, prior to the days of photography, were so important to help identify the Monarch. Thanks to the paparazzi and the internet, we all know what the Queen and the Royal Family look like, but centuries ago, often it was only the crown and regalia that confirmed the identity of the ruler. So let's look at the jewels. You might well think, yawn, a boring old granny brooch. But look again and the choice is genius. From this one diamond gem, I have constructed my 'Queen's top jewellery tips' during the boring bits of the service when the BBC treated us to endless shots of goldfish-mouthed choirboys. Tip Nº 1: The perfect jewel to complement a hat is a brooch. Of course! Earrings get lost under elaborate hair styles and flamboyant millinery. As for a necklace, with 'cover up' the dress code for a church event, a magnificent decolleté showing off a splendid pendant would be inappropriate. A brooch sits proud, not on flesh, but fabric. The True Lovers's Brooch is just the right size. Visible from a distance and with sufficient sparkle to catch the eye. Tip Nº2: How to wear that brooch? I noticed that even in the aerial shots in the Abbey, the Queen's brooch was always visible. This is because that canny Queen positioned the brooch far enough towards her left shoulder so that it wasn't obscured by her hat brim. Now it takes a lot of brooch-wearing experience to factor in Abbey camera angles and possible trans-pew sightings, well, she's not the Queen for nothing. Tip Nº3: The true genius of the Queen's brooch was not evident until after the wedding ceremony. Seated in her horse drawn coach driving back to Buckingham Palace, the brooch was still visible. As this jewel sits high up on the Queen's body, the cheering crowds were able to catch a glimpse of the Queen with a sparkling diamond ribbon bow on her shoulder.
