The League's special wedding gift to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

13 Sept

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was Patron of the Returned & Services League of Australia (RSL) for more than 70 years and her patronage and support for veterans and service personnel has always been greatly appreciated.

Like the service personnel who so bravely fought at that time Her Majesty’s understanding and dedication to the support of veterans was further fostered by her own service in the British Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II. From this, she demonstrated a lifetime of duty and diligence to serving the Commonwealth that we are a part of today.

In 1947, the Returned Sailors’, Soldiers’, and Airmen’s Imperial League of Australia sent the then Princess Elizabeth a special wedding gift as a token of the League’s loyalty and best wishes for her marriage.

The League commissioned a special brooch featuring beautiful Australian opals set in gold, known as the Australian Opal Spray Brooch.

The brooch was designed specifically by Percy Marks and made of rare Australian opals set in a spray of Australian Gem Leaves, encased in a casket made from Australian Blackwood bearing the badge of the League.

The accompanying letter read:

To Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth, C.J on the occasion of her Marriage

May it please Your Royal Highness to accept this little wedding gift, as a sincere token of loyalty, esteem and affection of the members of the Returned Sailors’, Soldiers’, and Airmen’s Imperial League of Australia.

An emblem of Australia, it is a brooch representing a spray of our well known flowering gum composed of Australian gold and opals. Indicative of a purely Australian industry, black opal being found nowhere else in the world, the blossoms are formed by rare gems from the various opal fields of Australia, the number being representative of the Governmental States of the Commonwealth, the aim of the designers being to incorporate purely Australian symbols in a piece of jewellery suitable for such an auspicious occasion. The casket is of inlaid Australian Blackwood, bearing, in gold, the badge of the League.

The hope is expressed that the gift will serve to remind Your Royal Highness of the millions of loyal subjects in Australia whose wish is for your future happiness.

We beg to subscribe ourselves, - Your Royal Highness’s most obedient servants, - Sir Eric Millhouse KC (President) and J C Neagle CBE (Secretary).

The League was thrilled to receive a letter in response from Buckingham Palace, dated 8 December 1947, it read:

It is most generous of The Returned Sailors’, Soldiers’, and Airmen’s Imperial League of Australia to send me so acceptable a present as the gold brooch set with opals in the form of a spray of flowering gum, in a casket, which I have received from you.

I can assure you that your choice is one that has given me real pleasure, and I ask you to thank all concerned for their kindness, their generosity and their goodwill.

Elizabeth

Current RSL Australia President Greg Melick said Her Majesty the Queen wore the brooch regularly on many special occasions, bringing great joy to the League whenever she wore it.

“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth held a special place in the hearts of Australian service personnel and veterans over the more than 70 years of her reign,” Greg Melick said.

“She always took a keen interest in RSL activities and the welfare and needs of veterans and their families.

“She dedicated her life to the service of Britain and our Commonwealth of nations and the RSL will be forever grateful for her commitment, encouragement and support for our veterans and service personnel,” he said.