The Queen Wore This Sweet Reminder Of Prince Philip At A Buckingham Palace Event

In the months following the death of Prince Philip in April, members of the British royal family have been mourning and paying homage to the late patriarch in their own ways. For her part, Queen Elizabeth spent the summer in her Scotland home before coming back to Buckingham Palace. At her first public event since losing her husband, the queen wore a sweet reminder of him that avid fans of the family will remember from the early days of their relationship.

The launch of the baton relay for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, marked the first time the public was invited to Buckingham Palace in over a year (per the Associated Press). Kadeena Cox, British Paralympic gold medalist, was the lucky recipient of the baton during the first stretch in the event's 90,000-mile course. Cox was in attendance fresh off a double win in the Tokyo Olympics. 

Queen Elizabeth was dressed to the nines, wearing an orange coat and a matching hat with floral details, per the Daily Mail. Along with the chic ensemble, the queen accessorized with a particularly meaningful piece of jewelry: the diamond floral brooch that she received as a wedding gift many years ago. She received the Cartier brooch as a gift from the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1947 when she and Philip were wed. Considering the relay was her first public event since Philip's death, it was surely an intentional choice. 

Immediately following Prince Philip's death, Queen Elizabeth entered a two-week period of mourning, per ABC News. Around the same time, she rang in her 95th birthday. Despite the heavy circumstances, Elizabeth issued a statement thanking the public for its ongoing support. "I have, on the occasion of my 95th birthday today, received many messages of good wishes, which I very much appreciate," she said in the statement, via ABC News. "While as a family we are in a period of great sadness, it has been a comfort to us all to see and to hear the tributes paid to my husband, from those within the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and around the world."

Mourning or not, the busy lives of the royals proceeded. And it appears that Elizabeth has reentered society in full. The Commonwealth Games, which used to be called the Empire Games, are held every four years, per Town & Country. Participating countries and territories have colonial ties with Britain, such as Australia, Canada, India, and South Africa.

The 2021 baton features hi-tech implements like a "360-degree camera and atmospheric sensors" and a personal message from the queen that a participant will read out loud at the opening ceremony, according to the Associated Press. While Queen Elizabeth is likely still in mourning over the loss of her husband, the relay was surely a welcome change of pace.