During a special outing, Kate Middleton paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II by donning an iconic piece of jewelry. However, she’s not the first member of the royal family to borrow the pearl choker. Here’s how Middleton styled the timeless heirloom.
Kate Middleton Wears Queen’s Pearls To Festival Of Remembrance
On November 12, the British Royal Family gathered at London’s Royal Albert Hall for the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance. The annual concert pays tribute to men and women in the armed forces, especially those who have given their lives fighting for the UK.
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Both Kate Middleton and Prince William attended wearing their traditional poppy emblems. William donned his service medals and a dapper navy suit while his wife’s ensemble took most of the attention.
The Princess of Wales wore a classy black cinched jacket with a pleated skirt. She paired the look with two pieces of jewelry that once belonged to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: a four-strand pearl choker necklace with a diamond centerpiece and the queen’s classic Bahrain pearl drop earrings. However, the iconic necklace has a long history of its own.
The Necklace Has An Interesting History
Fans of the royals will immediately recognize Middleton’s necklace as the queen’s Japanese Pearl Choker. According to the Queen’s Jewel Vault, Queen Elizabeth commissioned the court jeweler to craft the necklace from the cultured pearls presented to her in the ’70s by the Japanese government.
The queen wore the necklace multiple times throughout her life. She even lent the necklace to Princess Diana for a state visit from the Netherlands in 1982. Diana wore it with the Lover’s Knot Tiara, another heirloom that Middleton now possesses.
The Choker Is Now A Favorite Of Kate Middleton’s
Queen Elizabeth memorably lent the necklace to Middleton in 2017 (per TODAY), so it seems like the Princess of Wales was already fond of the piece when Her Majesty passed this September. It’s no surprise that Middleton has chosen to wear the choker multiple times in honor of the queen.
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As reported by Town & Country, Middleton memorably wore the same necklace to the queen’s funeral months ago. So, it’s especially touching that Middleton decided to re-wear the important heirloom this Remembrance Day.
It looks like this necklace that was once favored by Queen Elizabeth has become a meaningful staple in Kate Middleton’s jewelry box. It’s also a powerful reminder that although the queen has passed on, her presence lives on through her family.