As thousands of people demonstrated against President Trump in the UK, Queen Elizabeth II seemed to make a statement of her own by wearing a brooch given as a gift by former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama. The Queen donned the American-made, 14-karat yellow gold flower pin during an audience at Windsor Castle the day Trump and the first lady landed in Britain, according to multiple reports. According to Her Majesty’s Jewel Vault blog, the piece, encrusted with diamonds and moss agate, was selected and personally purchased from the tiny Jewel Box jewelry store in Washington, DC, by Obama and his wife in 2011 and is also known as the “American State Brooch.” While welcoming Trump for tea, the 92-year-old monarch donned a palm leaf diamond brooch famously worn by her mother at the state funeral for the Queen’s father, King George VI, in 1952. The day after the meeting, her royal highness wore a sapphire pin in the shape of a snowflake, gifted to her by the Canadian people in 2017 to mark her 65 years on the throne.<doc-sep>Queen Elizabeth II wore a brooch given to her by former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama Michelle LeVaughn Robinson ObamaPelosi: George Floyd daughter's prediction that he would 'change the world' is coming true Jill Biden recognizes Fauci as an 'American hero' Michelle Obama shows support for foundation created to honor Kobe, Gigi Bryant's memory MORE on the day President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE landed in the United Kingdom, according to multiple reports. The Obamas gave the vintage brooch to the Queen during a 2011 visit. The 14-karat yellow gold piece of jewelry is also known as the American State Visit brooch. ADVERTISEMENT The nod to the former presidents has been seen by some as a subtle jab at Trump, who was greeted on his U.K. visit by hundreds of thousands of protesters. The queen met with Trump and first lady Melania Trump on Friday for tea at Windsor Castle. The visit was not without controversy, as Trump was caught on video walking in front of the Elizabeth — not a breach of protocol, but widely seen as a sign of disrespect. Princes William and Charles reportedly refused to meet with Trump, though the palace denied the reports. Trump praised the Elizabeth as an “incredible woman” in an interview with British tabloid The Sun ahead of his visit. In the same interview, he railed against British Prime Minister Theresa May’s plans for Brexit, comments that sparked major backlash from British lawmakers. The Obamas visited the U.K. multiple times while in office, and are known to be close with both William and Harry and their families. Neither the Trumps nor the Obamas were invited to Harry's recent wedding to American actress Meghan Markle, as the couple decided against having any official political guests in attendance.<doc-sep>Throughout her long reign, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth has stayed far removed from the political fray as her position as constitutional monarch dictates. But some eagle-eyed royal watchers believe Her Majesty sent a subtle political message with her choice of brooches during U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the U.K. last week. On the day of Trump’s arrival in England on July 12, the queen adorned her silk leaf-print dress with a small green flower brooch given to her by none other than former U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, with whom she developed a personal friendship during the couple’s eight-year tenure in the White House. Queen Elizabeth, pictured on July 12, wears a brooch given to her by former President Obama and his wife, Michelle. CREDIT: Rex Shutterstock Hand-selected by the Obamas from Connecticut jeweler Tiny Jewel Box’s vintage assortment, the brooch was crafted in 1950 from 14-karat yellow gold, diamonds and moss agate. They presented the gift to the queen during a 2011 visit to Buckingham Palace. Considering the immense size of the Monarch’s collection of glittering brooches — a signature accessory of hers — the choice to wear a piece presented to her by the Obamas seems far from coincidental. Was she sneakily signaling her disapproval of America’s current president? The queen debuts her new flower brooch from the Obamas in 2011. CREDIT: Rex Shutterstock On Trump’s second day on British soil, he joined the queen for tea at Windsor Castle. For this occasion, Her Majesty made yet another curious brooch selection: the diamond palm leaf piece that her mother, Queen Elizabeth, wore to her father King George VI’s 1952 state funeral. The brooch appears in the iconic and haunting Three Queens in Mourning photo taken at the funeral in which Elizabeth, her mother and grandmother Queen Mary — representing three generations — huddle together in their heavy black mourning clothes and veils. Royal fans believe the queen was making a bold statement in wearing jewelry linked to such a painful day from her past to meet Trump for the first time. Queen Elizabeth hosts President Trump at Windsor Castle on July 13. CREDIT: Rex Shutterstock A closer look at the Queen’s diamond palm leaf brooch. CREDIT: Rex Shuterstock (L-R): Queen Elizabeth, her grandmother and mother attend the funeral of King George VI. CREDIT: Rex Shutterstock The day after her tea with Trump, Her Majesty welcomed another round of important guests to Windsor, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium. She accessorized her purple and blue floral-print dress with a snowflake brooch given to her in 2017 by the Canadian people to mark her sapphire jubilee. Again, her choice seems significant, considering Trump’s recent Twitter attack on Justin Trudeau after the Canadian Prime Minister criticized his trade policies, igniting a feud between the two neighboring leaders. Queen Elizabeth visits with Belgium’s King Philippe and Queen Mathilde on July 14. CREDIT: Rex Shutterstock The queen’s snowflake brooch features 48 sapphires mined from Canada’s Baffin Island. CREDIT: Rex Shutterstock See more of Queen Elizabeth’s shoes through the years. Want more? Queen Elizabeth II Steps Out in Silver Metallic Pumps for Garter Day A Look at Young Queen Elizabeth II’s Shoe Style Queen Elizabeth II Sits Front Row at Richard Quinn’s LFW Show<doc-sep>
President Donald Trump may have secured his long-awaited meeting with Queen Elizabeth II last week, but it appears the monarch may not have been as happy to see him. According to The Hill, on the day Trump arrived in the country the queen wore a brooch given to her by former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. Many saw that as a subtle dig at the current president, who is unpopular in the U.K. Also known as the American State Visit brooch, the Obamas gave the jewelry to the 92-year-old ruler during their 2011 trip to the U.K. The 14-karat gold item was made in the U.S. in 1950 from yellow gold, diamonds and moss agate. It came from Washintgon, D.C.'s Tiny Jewel Box store. The meeting between the queen and current president—the 12th American commander-in-chief of her 66-year reign—did not go as smoothly as planned. After arriving 12 minutes late, Trump joined the queen in a courtyard of the historic Windsor Castle to review a British guard of honor, who played the American national anthem before marching past. A video of the troop inspection showing the president walking in front of the Queen, forcing her to jostle for space next to him went viral last week. Though the monarch can be seen trying to usher Trump in the correct direction, the president seemed oblivious as he wandered along. His behavior was not a breach of official protocol but has been widely criticized as disrespectful by several British newspapers. After the awkward ceremony was over, Trump and his wife, Melania, joined the queen for afternoon tea inside the castle. Trump later incorrectly claimed this was the first time the queen had reviewed her royal guard in 70 years. The monarch has been on the throne for only 66 years, and has been seen inspecting her elite troops countless times. During this portion of the visit, the queen was wearing a brooch handed down to her mother, known for its appearance at the state funeral of her father, George VI, in 1952. Whether this too was a subtle comment on her enthusiasm for Trump's company is unclear. The Trump visit to Windsor Castle took less than an hour. It was reported that Prince William and Prince Charles refused to meet the president—allegedly because of distasteful remarks he had made about Princess Diana shortly after her death in 1997. Buckingham Palace later said their involvement was never part of the plan for the visit. As Trump sipped royal tea, tens of thousands of protesters swarmed central London in demonstrations against his visit. Already unpopular among Britons, Trump did himself no favors by undermining Prime Minister Theresa May, lambasting London Mayor Sadiq Khan and criticizing British policy on immigration and Brexit in an interview days before he arrived. President Obama and Michelle visited the U.K. several times during his two terms, and the couple is known to be close to both Prince Harry and Prince William.