When it comes to the royal family, there are somethings that more excited than procedures, prohibitions, or political relations: jewels. The British Royal Family has a very large jewelry collection Queen Elizabeth, Lady Diana and Kate Middleton has worn these timeless and sparkling jewelers many times. We look back on the past of these jewelry collection through Kate Middleton’s elegant style.
Lady Diana’s Sapphire Engagement Ring
Let’s start our sapphire list with one of the most famous jewels: Kate’s engagement ring, an heirloom from Diana. This ring doesn’t have a very romantic story, but it shows that Diana had her way even before saying “I do” to Charles, then Prince of Wales. Royal rules are not for him. During Lady Diana’s time, a special ring was usually made for royal brides. A ready-made design is not preferred. However, Diana chooses this ring from Garrard’s catalogue, which features a 12-carat oval-cut sapphire surrounded by diamonds. The ring is the most expensive engagement ring owned by the royal family. The price is 390,000 pounds.
The story of how the ring adorned Kate’s finger is as follows: After Diana’s tragic accident, Prince Harry and Prince William were told that they could keep a piece from their mother’s collection. William chooses the Cartier watch and Harry chooses this ring. However, when Prince William proposes to Kate, Harry decides to give the ring to his brother. Because he likes the idea that his mother’s ring will one day ascend to the throne.
South Sea Pearl Earrings
In a letter Princess Diana wrote; “I want you to allocate all my jewels for my sons, so that their wives can have them or use them when the time comes. I leave the exact distribution of the jewels to your discretion.” These earrings, one of Diana’s favorites, belonged to Prince William and were gifted to his wife Kate. Kate, on the other hand, revised these earrings with large pearls with slightly smaller pearls.
We have often seen the New Princess of Wales with these earrings. Even at the 2019 Bafta Ceremony, the 2022 Royal Ascot and Remembrance Sunday Service, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s first visit to King Charles, and the coronation of King Charles in 2023, these earrings complemented Princess Kate’s sophisticated style.
Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara
Did you know that this famous and flashy crown is actually a replica? The real Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara belonged to Princess Augusta in the 1830s. Afterwards, it was left to the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. In 1913, when Queen Mary wanted to add a new tiara to her collection, she looked at the collection of her aunt, the Grand Duchess, for inspiration and asked the jeweler Garrard to make a replica of this tiara. When Queen Mary died in 1953, the crown was inherited by Queen Elizabeth and entered the royal collection. The original crown has one more row of pearls at the top and is much showier. However, these pearls were later removed.
The new Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara is among the favorites of all four royal influencers. After Queen Mary, the crown first adorned Queen Elizabeth’s hair and was then given as a gift by the queen to her daughter-in-law Diana. During her visit to Wales in 1981, Diana wore the crown for the first time. In 1996, following Diana and Charles’ divorce, the crown returned to the royal collection because, under royal rules, personal gifts can be kept after separation, while official gifts must be returned.
In the 21st century, the crown became one of Kate Middleton’s favorites. The New Princess of Wales wore this tiara for the first time at a diplomatic reception in 2015, and the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara has been the princess’s most worn tiara ever since.
Queen Mary Emerald Choker
The origin of the emerald necklace dates back to 1911. The piece, which was gifted to Queen Mary by the “Ladies of India” and was said to be worth 20 million dollars, later transferred to Queen Elizabeth’s collection and was gifted to Princess Diana by Queen Elizabeth. This emerald choker is one of Diana’s personal favorites. Diana, who frequently wore this necklace between 1981 and 1997, also created an iconic moment with this jewelry. We are talking about his visit to Australia in 1985. It was actually by accident that Diana used this choker as a headband. When Diana unwrapped the necklace and tried to pass it over her head instead of around her neck, the necklace got stuck in her hair. But she loved the look so much that she decided to use the choker this way instead of saving her hair.
The choker, which was not seen in public after Diana’s death, appeared in front of the cameras again with Kate Middleton for the first time. At the Earthshot Prize Awards in 2022, Kate rented a dress signed by Space London from HURR in accordance with the concept of the ceremony, and combined this dress, which draws attention with its color, with emeralds.
Sapphire Double Drop Earrings
Sapphire has an important place in Diana’s jewelry collection. I guess, it’s because she thinks it suits her eyes very well and makes them stand out. These earrings were also one of Diana’s favorites in her jewelry collection. Her visit to 1191 Ottawa, Canada, where she paired earrings with a sapphire and pearl choker, and her Met Gala appearance in 1996 come to mind.
The earrings consist of two Cabochons sapphires. The upper sapphire is surrounded by 8 diamonds, the lower sapphire is surrounded by 9 diamonds, and a diamond connects these two parts. Although it was rumored for a long time that Kate Middleton revised the earrings and reduced them to a single piece, the rumors were later denied by the royal jeweler. At the 2022 Troping the Color event, Kate wore these earrings for the first time.
