For the naming ceremony of HMS Glasgow, The Princess of Wales wore a new brooch which took the design of the insignia of the ship.
This piece was specially made by James Porter & Son, established in 1858, and are based in Glasgow’s Argyll Arcade. The jeweller is one of Scottish’s oldest establishments in the craft.
The brooch was funded through the generosity of two of London’s livery companies: The Worshipful Company of Fan Makers and The Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors, both of which have a long tradition of supporting charitable and ceremonial causes linked to the armed forces and national heritage.
James Porter & Son stated that the brooch is crafted from sterling silver and features a depiction of St Kentigern, patron saint of Glasgow, framed by the Scottish thistle. Above it sits the ship name surmounted with a naval crown – a circlet made from alternating sails and ship sterns.
The firm explored several options in including a ‘distinctly Scottish element in the design’ and settled on a thistle to demonstrate the national flower of Scotland and Catherine’s ‘love of nature, and visually striking with the ship’s crest at the centre’.
The Princess of Wales wearing her HMS Glasgow brooch. (Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
Simon Porter, of James Porter & Son, remarked: ‘It was an absolute honour to see her wearing it. Against a plain navy background it really stood out. The brooch is a tribute not just to HMS Glasgow, but to the skilled craftsmanship that continues to flourish in our city.’
