Kate Middleton drew much attention when she historically wore something special to honour Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana at the coronation of King Charles.
The late George VI Festoon Necklace and her mother-in-law’s South Sea Pearl Earrings were worn by the 41-year-old monarch.
The gleaming George VI Festoon Necklace, which has three strands of diamonds, was made in 1950 at King George VI’s request for his eldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth at the time. Throughout her historic reign, Queen Elizabeth used the item for state dinners and special events.
The necklace belonged to Princess Kate’s grandmother-in-law, and she has worn it numerous times since the Queen’s passing in September 2022 as a mark of respect. For a few of the funerary events, the Princess of Wales wore Queen Elizabeth’s pearl and diamond drop earrings and signature three-strand pearl necklace.
For the monarch’s state funeral and committal service, she paired the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings with a four-strand pearl choker that once belonged to the monarch.
“Pearls are one of the very few jewellery items you can wear in mourning and are inextricably linked with Queen Elizabeth and her personal jewellery legacy,” Bethan Holt, author of The Queen: 70 Years of Majestic Style, previously told PEOPLE. “It’s a symbol of mourning a monarch but also a grandmother or great-grandmother.”
In addition, Princess Kate had donned jewels from Queen Elizabeth’s collection on numerous significant occasions, most notably her royal wedding to Prince William in 2011 when she wore the Cartier Halo Tiara.
From her Maple Leaf Brooch to emerald tassel earrings and the Edinburgh Wedding Bracelet, a thoughtful engagement present from Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth has gifted Kate a variety of items over the years.
Kate previously wore Diana’s South Sea pearl earrings, which are made of diamonds and pearls, to the most recent Remembrance Sunday ceremony.
Through the 1990s, Diana frequently wore the sparkly pair to formal gatherings, though Vogue claims that Kate altered the pair (which she has previously worn). The publication claims that instead of the larger, round pearls Diana was shown wearing, she switched out the baubles for smaller, pear-shaped gems.
On Saturday, the Princess of Wales attended her father-in-law’s historic coronation together with other members of the royal family at Westminster Abbey.
