Queen Camilla went without a tiara for the gala dinner during the State Visit to Italy but she wore a very striking, and very sentimental, piece of jewellery. With the world's eyes on her, The Queen chose to sparkle in one of her mother's favourite gems.
Camilla wore a turquoise necklace that belonged to Rosalind Shand, her beloved mama. The piece is very pretty and rather unusual, featuring round turquoises trimmed with diamonds which hang in clusters among more diamonds. But, more importantly, it has huge sentimental importance to The Queen who lost her mother in 1994.
The Queen has worn it for several notable appearances before - it was used during a 2012 official visit to Norway for a banquet at Oslo's Royal Palace. And, perhaps most significantly, Camilla selected it for the 50th birthday party of King Charles in 1998, one of her first major public appearances at his side.
However, its appearance at the Italian State Banquet, the glittering high point of a hugely successful visit, places it firmly in the royal historic jewellery category. This State Dinner was part of a vital tour, requested by the government, which cemented relations between the UK and a growing player in the European political landscape. The visit was also a roaring success, with big crowds greeting The King and Queen. And the banquet got extra attention as it took place on the couple's 20th wedding anniversary which became quite the event.
It was a lovely nod from a loving daughter to a loving mama on a special day. And it's elevated a rather lovely necklace from family keepsake to royal jewel, once and for all.