Duchess Sophie becomes latest royal to wear 'lucky' bracelet amid challenging year

The Duchess of Edinburgh looked elegant as ever as she joined her husband, Prince Edward at the SM Stadium in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire on 14 November.

To mark the announcement of Sophie becoming Patron of Wheel Power, the national charity for wheelchair sport, the royal couple paid a visit to the stadium to see firsthand how the charity empowers more people to lead active lives.

Looking smart and sophisticated, the Duchess slipped into a silky cream skirt layered with a khaki blouse and tailored grey blazer with oversized lapels. She swept her golden hair into a pinned updo, elevating her ensemble with striking drop earrings.

In photographs shared to X, formerly Twitter, by Wheel Power, Sophie wasted no time in getting stuck into activities. In one snap, the royal tried her hand at archery, which revealed a glittering gold bracelet adorning her wrist.

Upon closer inspection, the delicate gold bracelet appeared to have a pearlescent four leaf clover charm, which is synonymous with the jewellery brand Van Cleef & Arpels.

It appears to be the first time the mother-of-two has worn the bracelet, which could be the brand's 'Sweet Alhambra' bracelet in 18K yellow gold with a mother of pearl charm, but Sophie isn't the first royal to be a fan of Van Cleef & Arpels. In fact, several royal ladies are the proud owners of the brand's signature clover jewels, with the Alhambra jewellery collection long having established itself as a timeless symbol of luck.

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The clover motif is the most closely associated symbol with Van Cleef & Arpels. Luck has always been a central theme for the brand, guiding its design ethos and inspiring many of its signature pieces. In a year that has been particularly challenging for the royal family, with both King Charles and the Princess of Wales receiving treatment for cancer, it would come as no surprise if Sophie carried a symbolic good luck charm as a source of comfort.

The Princess of Wales is the proud wearer of the 'Alhambra’ necklace from Van Cleef & Arpels, having worn the timeless four-leaf clover-shaped jewels on red carpets, state dinners, and most memorably, at King Charles' Coronation Concert.

Queen Camilla also owns several pieces from the brand, and rarely takes off her 'Alhambra' bracelet suite. Jewellery expert Stefano Pietrini, from Watches and Crystals previously explained to HELLO! the reasoning behind royalty being drawn to the jewels lies in the brand's glimmering history.

"Van Cleef & Arpels' long history of dressing the most elite members of society, coupled with its fine craftsmanship and highest quality jewels, is what makes it so popular among royals, even to this day," Stefano tells us.

"The Queen Nazli of Egypt is known to be one of the first royals to take a liking to Van Cleef & Arpels commissioning two famous pieces of jewellery, an art deco style tiara and a necklace containing over 600 diamonds, in the late 1930s."