Princess Charlotte’s heartfelt nod to ‘Gan Gan’ Queen Elizabeth II at Trooping 2025

Princess Charlotte looked adorable during Trooping the Colour 2025 on Saturday, dressed in a delightful blue pastel dress, which looked very like the colour her mother, the Princess of Wales, also chose to wear.

The young royal and her mother looked like mirror images of one another as they smiled and waved at the crowds during the famous procession.

The iconic event, which marks Charlotte’s grandfather, the King’s official birthday, was a joyous occasion, and the young royal looked delighted to be with her mother Kate, her father, Prince William and of course, her brothers, Prince George and Prince Louis.

Pinned to the dress was a pretty little brooch, which was designed in the shape of a horseshoe. The stunning yet delicate design may have been small, but it was quite a poignant accessory, with a big meaning.

© Samir Hussein/WireImage

The brooch was a sweet nod to her late great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, as she first wore it to the late monarch’s funeral in 2022.

© Getty Images

Charlotte reportedly called Elizabeth ‘Gan Gan’, and it was well known that the late sovereign adored horses. Her passion for both horses and horse racing was paramount, and she even had her first riding lesson at the age of three.

© Getty Images

The brooch has been in the royal family for generations. It was gifted to the young Princess by her great-grandparents and was originally owned by the Queen Mother.

Queen Elizabeth II’s love of horses

In 2022,  broadcaster Clare Balding said on the BBC: “The Queen’s passions were horses and dogs. Racing was the passion she shared with the public. The Queen loved to go to the stables to see horses on gallops in the morning and talk to all the grooms.”

© Photo: Getty Images

Elizabeth also established herself as a veritable racehorse breeder. Numbering around 180, the Queen’s horses and ponies are kept at various royal residences and stables, with many sharing a base at Balmoral and Sandringham.

Many of her thoroughbreds went on to win impressive titles, and in 2013 she even made sporting history when she became the first reigning monarch to win Royal Ascot’s Gold Cup with her thoroughbred, Estimate.