At Royal Ascot, you can place your bets on the horses or on the color of the queen's hat. I prefer a more sparkly betting game, myself: which brooches will the queen wear this year?
Five days of Ascot should bring us five different brooches. Will she go for the old faithfuls? Will she bring something out from way back in the vault? Or will she use her Diamond Jubilee year to show us some of her most impressive rocks?
Before you place your bets, have a little context: here are the brooches worn by Queen Elizabeth for the past 5 years of Ascot (click to enlarge as usual).
2006
Left to Right: a diamond and sapphire bundle of grapes from the Queen Mother's collection, the Australian Wattle Brooch, the Jardine Star, the City of London Lily Brooch, and one of Queen Victoria's Bow Brooches
2007
L to R: a 6 petal diamond flower, the Flame Lily Brooch, her pearl and diamond quatrefoil brooch, one of Victoria's bows, and the Flower Basket Brooch
2008
L to R: the Queen Mother's Shell Brooch, the City of London Lily, Queen Mary's Russian Brooch, the Jardine Star, and Victoria's Bow again
2009
L to R: a diamond flower brooch, the Cullinan V Brooch, the Queen Mother's Shell Brooch, the City of London Lily again, and the Queen Mother's grapes again
2010
L to R: the Cullinan V Brooch, the Queen Mother's Australian Hibiscus Brooch, a feather brooch, her Aquamarine Clips, and another of Victoria's Bows
2011
L to R: the City of London Lily, the Williamson Pink Diamond, the Queen Mother's Shell, the Jardine Star, and once again one of Victoria's Bows
Okay, now put your psychic caps on:
What do you think we'll see on the queen at this year's Royal Ascot?
Photos: Getty Images/Daylife/Polfoto/Corbis
