This Sunday marks a major anniversary for the Royal Family and the British people: on February 6, 2022, it will be 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II took the throne. While the British people will spend the year celebrating Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee with various parades, bank holidays, and awards ceremonies, the Queen herself has prepared for the occasion in a quieter way, paying homage to her father, King George VI.

While most of the year will be filled with jubilation celebrating the Queen, the actual anniversary of her coronation is likely to be more bittersweet for Her Majesty. In a photo released by the Palace, the Queen perfectly balances these two ideas. Set in the Oak Room of Windsor Palace, the Queen looks through old photos of her Golden Jubilee and reign, surrounded by cards from those closest to her. The Queen is shown smiling as she flips through the cards, and there is an adorable image of her being interrupted by Candy, her dorgy (a dachshund and corgi mix). According to the Daily Mail, a media source who was at the game that day reported that she said to the dog, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. (3]

And while Windsor was clearly in a celebratory mood, the queen's brooch was indicative of the mixed emotions of the day. The aquamarine and diamond brooch, which the Queen wore with her turquoise blue dress, was a gift from her father (whom she called "Papa") on her 18th birthday. It was a sweet and quiet tribute to her father, who made the Queen the Queen she was.

Queen Elizabeth was 27 years old when she officially acceded to the throne in February 1952, when she received the news that her beloved father had died suddenly while traveling in Africa. Not expecting to have to appear in mourning, she knew that dozens of photographers would be at the airport to film her getting off the plane as the new Queen of England, and eventually had to send someone to fetch her black outfit. (This situation is against the backdrop of the now long-standing royal protocol that the royal family must have black clothing for any trip in case they need to attend a funeral)

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We know that the Queen's brooch has many hidden meanings. So the jewelry chosen by the Queen for the occasion is not a coincidence, but a reminder of the circumstances of her accession to the throne and a tribute to her father and his reign as she prepares to celebrate her own accession.