Photo: Getty
While the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II abounded with vocal tributes, subtle sartorial nods to Britain’s longest reigning monarch too shared the spotlight in a special way. Catherine, Princess of Wales, Camilla, Queen Consort, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, all paid homage to the Queen in remarkably personal manners, including wearing pieces from the royal archives and some gifted to them by the late monarch.
Photo: Instagram.com
Kate Middleton, in particular, wore earrings made of Bahraini pearls, which among many things, signify the Queen’s longstanding relationship with the Middle East. Although pearls have been traditionally associated with mourning since Queen Victoria’s reign, these specific earrings feature two out of the seven pearls gifted to Queen Elizabeth by Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain on her wedding day in 1947. The pieces bring together one brilliant-cut round diamond, four small round diamonds, and three baguette-cut diamonds, placed above the Bahraini pearl. Loaned to the princess from the royal collection, the earrings were also worn by the former Duchess of Cambridge at Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021.
Diana, Princess of Wales wearing the necklace in 1982. Photo: Instagram.com
The mother-of-three wore the jewelry with another sentimental piece, a stunning four-strand pearl and diamond choker. Commissioned by the Queen to jewelry maker Garrard, it is made using pearls gifted to her by the Japanese government in the ’70s. Not only was the necklace worn by Kate Middleton to Queen and Prince Philip’s diamond wedding anniversary in 2017, and later, the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral last year, but it was also loaned by the late monarch to Princess Diana for a banquet in 1982.
