The Royal Family have no shortage of jewellery pieces, from the grand Crown Jewels to more sentimental pieces in the private royal collection. With so much choice, it must be hard to decide on a favourite, but when it comes to Princess Anne, it appears she’s settled on a favoured brooch. While on a visit to Greece last week (May 2026), the Princess Royal once again turned to the Gold Ribbon Brooch, a piece she’s been relying on for more than five decades – and one that has an interesting history behind it.
The Gold Ribbon Brooch is styled as a loose knot and is made from gold, set with a dozen diamonds. Princess Anne has regularly been seen wearing it over the past 50 years. She even chose it for one of her 70th birthday portraits in 2020, cementing it as a favourite choice from the royal jewellery box.
Many of the jewels – particularly brooches – worn by the women of the Royal Family are chosen for their symbolism or significance. For example, the diamond Maple Leaf brooch has been worn by the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II and the Princess of Wales for events in or relating to Canada. This is because the maple leaf is a national symbol for the country, making it a natural and fitting choice for these occasions.
Being more ‘general’ in style, however, Princess Anne’s Gold Ribbon Brooch lends itself to a range of occasions, which has meant it’s been able to be used frequently throughout the years. Perhaps the most surprising link behind the brooch stems from its very first outing back in 1969, when Princess Anne met NASA astronaut Colonel Frank Borman. Colonel Borman was the commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the moon.
The astronaut was invited, alongside his wife, Susan, to Buckingham Palace to meet the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. A young Princess Anne and her little brother, Prince Edward, joined their parents to welcome the astronaut, and a black and white photo from the visit shows the group laughing together as young Prince Edward speaks to Colonel Borman.
It appears to be an unexpectedly relaxed meeting, like any other family greeting visiting friends. In fact, the meet was part of the astronaut’s ‘goodwill tour’ around Western Europe. In the image, Princess Anne can be seen wearing the Gold Ribbon Brooch attached to her 60s-style swing dress, reflecting the era.
Now, Princess Anne has attached the same pin for her meeting with Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas at the Presidential Mansion in Greece. Joined by her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, she visited the nation to mark 85 years since the Battle of Crete.
