#Broochgate has begun.
The internet is convinced that Queen Elizabeth subtly communicated her feelings about Donald Trump to the world through the bejeweled brooches she wore during the U.S. president’s visit to London last week.
News outlets and jewelry watchers have been busy parsing the possible meanings of her choices (more on those in a second). And a long and thoroughly entertaining Twitter thread, spearheaded by a writer based in Pennsylvania who goes by the handle SamuraiKnitter, lured many into the would-be imbroglio.
So here’s what happened.
On the first day of Trump’s three-day visit, when she personally met with him, the Queen wore an antique brooch given to her by the Obamas during an official state visit to the U.K. in 2011.
“That by itself is amusing enough,” wrote SamuraiKitty on Twitter. “She wore a brooch the Obamas gave her. But it gets better…She chose THIS ONE. This one was purchased out-of-pocket by Michelle and Barack Obama and given to her as a personal gift. And since the Obamas are really good at this subtle thing, too, they chose a very modest pin made of very modest materials. The message is ‘Here is a gift of something you like, with only sentimental value because it’s for friendship, not state visits…’ She chose the most sentimental piece in the collection, the one that was given out of friendship with the Obamas as people.”
