Queen Mother’s Shell Brooch

This week marks the 160th Anniversary of the Birth of Winifred Hope Thomson, who was born at the end of January in 1864! The artist was the daughter of the inventor of the pneumatic tyre, and left her spectacular Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell Brooch to the Queen Mother, which we are featuring today!

Formed as a scallop shell, entirely pavé-set with brilliant diamonds, with a single pearl at the centre, suspending five diamond pampilles, terminating with pear cut diamonds, the Brooch was designed in part by Sir Courtauld Thomson and made in 1919 in London by the Goldsmiths and Silversmiths Co., Ltd.

Sir Courtauld gave the Brooch to his sister, Winifred, at some point, and it was she who left it to the Queen Mother upon her passing in 1944, the year Sir Courtauld was raised to the peerage as ‘Baron Courtauld-Thomson’ “for philanthropic and public services”. The Brooch was left ‘as a mark of respect and profound admiration’ to be passed from Queen to Queen, and became a favourite of Queen Elizabeth being worn regularly over the decades.

The Queen Mother continued to wear the Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell Brooch into her old age, most notably being worn for her 100th Birthday Celebrations in 2000, and it was inherited by Queen Elizabeth II upon her passing two years later.

The late Queen wore the Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell Brooch on numerous occasions over two decades, including the Wedding of her granddaughter, Zara Phillips, Royal Ascot, and the Queen Mother’s Memorial Service and Statue Unveiling.

In the last decade of her life, the late Queen wore the Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell Brooch on numerous occasions including Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace, Royal Ascot, the Easter Service and even her annual Christmas Speech in 2020.

The Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell Brooch has now passed into the possession of Queen Camilla, who debuted the Brooch on Day One of Royal Ascot last year.

More recently, the Scallop-Shell Brooch was worn by Queen Camilla on a State Visit to Kenya later in the year, and there is no doubt we will continue to see this striking heirloom worn for years to come!