The Royal Family has quite the collection of diamonds but there are some pieces that we see worn by several members and that includes the Diamond Maple Leaf Brooch. 

King George VI gifted this brooch to his wife, Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother), ahead of their trip to Canada in the spring of 1939. With a second major war looming, the couple’s trip to Canada was more important than ever. 

The glittering brooch is in the shape of a Canadian sugar maple leaf and features both brilliant and baguette diamonds. It is believed that Asprey made the piece. 

While the Queen Mother owned the brooch until her death in 2002, she did loan it out. The then-Princess Elizabeth borrowed the Diamond Maple Leaf Brooch on her 1951 trip to Canada, and would borrow it on several trips throughout her reign. 

Queen Elizabeth inherited it upon her mother’s death and continued to wear the brooch frequently. She wore it during her last trip to Canada in 2010, including on Parliament Hill on Canada Day. 

The tradition of lending the brooch out has continued. Queen Camilla, when Duchess of Cornwall, borrowed the brooch from her mother-in-law in 2009 for her first visit to Canada. And in 2011, the Princess of Wales wore it on Canada Day during her first Canadian tour following her marriage.