Although Queen Elizabeth's birthday officially takes place in April, she gets a *second* celebration each June, with Trooping the Colour, a ceremony that dates back over 260 years. In this event, the birth of the British Sovereign is marked with a parade of soldiers, horse-drawn carriages and musical performances, as well as appearances from all our favorite royals. But of course, our eyes are usually on the woman of the hour: Queen Elizabeth II. And we couldn't help but notice that this year, she brought back one of her most dazzling accessories—the Brigade of Guards brooch.
Her Royal Majesty has worn this brooch at Trooping the Colour for years, and there's a special reason that she continually pulls it out. According to Marie Claire, the accessory combines the badges of the five regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies—Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish, and Welsh Guards—who each rotate in trooping their colours during the annual parade. In the oval that encloses the five badges, the latin phrase “Quinque Juncta In Uno” (translated to “five joined as one”) is included, and the top of the accessory is adorned with a sparkly crown.
