Two pieces that belonged to her grandmother-in-law were worn by the 40-year-old new Princess of Wales, who served as the monarch’s representative during the monarch’s burial on Monday. Princess Kate wore the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings and the four-strand pearl choker with the center diamond clasp as she entered Westminster Abbey. Both pieces are from the Queen’s personal collection.
The eye-catching choker was originally worn by Queen Elizabeth in 1983 for a state dinner in Bangladesh. The Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings were a gift to the Queen for her wedding in 1947.
Kate has recently been sighted wearing the choker and earrings for the burial of Queen Elizabeth’s husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 2021, as well as the pearl drop earrings for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee festivities in June. The Queen’s favorite pair of earrings are often removed from her jewelry box by Kate.
Princess Kate has honored her grandmother-in-law with diamonds at a number of ceremonial funeral events since the monarch’s death on September 8. Kate wore a set of pearl and diamond drop earrings that previously belonged to the Queen on Tuesday at the solemn ceremony marking the arrival of the monarch’s casket at Westminster Hall.
The Queen initially loaned the earrings to Kate when she went to the Netherlands for her first unaccompanied abroad trip in October 2016, said Lauren Kiehna, author and editor of The Court Jeweller. The Queen wore them at her Silver Jubilee in 1977.
Following that, Kate wore the earrings three more times: on Thursday to attend a lunch at Buckingham Palace, on Friday to greet Commonwealth soldiers, and on Saturday to attend memorials at Sandringham.
Princess Catherine wore yet another royal makeover on Wednesday during a ceremony in Westminster Hall by accessorizing her black coat dress with the Queen’s diamond and pearl leaf brooch. According to The Court Jeweller, Queen Elizabeth first wore the pin during her 1999 visit to South Korea.
Kate also wore jewelry that, according to Buckingham Palace, belonged to the Queen for Saturday’s lunch gathering at the palace: a three-strand pearl necklace.
The Princess of Wales joined Prince William, King Charles, Queen Camilla, and other members of the royal family for a ceremony at Buckingham Palace to welcome Commonwealth governors-general who had traveled to London for the late king or queen’s state burial on Monday.
Queen Elizabeth has gifted and borrowed jewelry to her female relatives over the years, most famously allowing Kate Middleton to use the Cartier Halo tiara for her wedding to Prince William in 2011.
