Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton have worn Princess Diana’s jewelry on more than one occasion. In fact, the Duchess of Sussex and Princess of Wales (respectively) have been seen wearing their late mother-in-law’s necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings dozens of times over the years, and it doesn’t look like they’re stopping anytime soon.
But can we blame them? With a stocked jewelry collection at their disposal from one of the British royal family’s most fashionable and beloved members, it’s hard to imagine anyone — let alone the daughters-in-law of Princess Diana herself — passing on that opportunity. But when are the exact times that Prince William and Prince Harry’s wives have worn Princess Di’s jewelry? We did the legwork to find out.
From the big and small tributes in their engagement rings to pearls, diamonds and gold they’ve borrowed from Princess Di’s jewelry collection over the years, Meghan and Kate are making sure the memory of their husbands’ late mother stays alive. We’ve tracked down nine times the duchesses have been seen sporting Princess Di’s jewelry.
Some are as simple as wearing her tiara. Others are more complicated, like using her diamonds to create a brand-new piece of jewelry. Whatever their tribute was, there’s no doubt Meghan and Kate have a deep appreciation for Princess Diana, and, of course, her jewelry.
A version of this article was originally published on Jan 2019.
Aquamarine ring
Meghan paid tribute to her late mother-in-law at her wedding in May 2018 when she wore Princess Diana’s famous aquamarine ring to her wedding reception (and most recently at the 2022 Robert. F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala!) The ring was seen as newlyweds Meghan and Harry waved to photographers from their car. The emerald-cut aquamarine ring was first worn by Princess Di in June 1997 when she attended an auction for her own clothes at Christie’s in London. The ring was part of a set with an aquamarine bracelet, which connected the gem with five strands of pearls.
The ring, which Meghan wore again at a royal engagement in Tonga in October 2018, was a gift to Diana from her good friend Lúcia Flecha de Lima. The ring was meant to be a replacement for Diana’s engagement ring after she divorced King Charles in 1996.
Delhi Durbar Emerald Choker
For the 2022 Earthshot Prize ceremony, Kate Middleton wowed everyone by wearing the ever-so-iconic Delhi Durbar Emerald Choker, a piece of jewelry known as one of the most worn jewelry pieces by Diana. The Art Deco emerald necklace was a gift to Queen Mary Dehli Durbar, or Court of Dehli.
Diana wore it on multiple occasions, such as a charity concert at the Barbican in 1982, a film premiere weeks later, the 1988 Banquet at Claridges, the Diamond Ball at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in 1990, and at a Banquet hosted by the King of Malaysia at the Dorchester Hotel in 1993.
Butterfly earrings
Soon after announcing her pregnancy, Meghan wore Princess Diana’s butterfly earrings on her first stop on her royal tour with Prince Harry in Sydney, Australia, in October 2018. Meghan wore the earrings, which featured a butterfly-shaped stud with small diamonds, with a fitted sleeveless white dress. Given Meghan’s pregnancy, the earrings could’ve been a tribute to her husband’s mother. Princess Diana first wore the earrings in May 1986 at an engagement in Canada — about a year after she gave birth to Meghan’s husband, Prince Harry.
Collingwood pearl earrings
For her wedding to King Charles in 1981, Princess Diana was gifted a set of pearl earrings from Collingwood Jewellers. One of the most notable times she wore the earrings was in November 1988 when she attended a dinner in France. She famously wore the jewelry with a bold dash of blue eyeliner. Though Kate’s look wasn’t as bold as her late mother-in-law’s, the Princess of Wales has worn the Collingwood pearl earrings on many occasions. The most recent one was in October 2018 at the State Banquet in London, where she wore the earrings with Diana’s Lover’s Knot tiara and Cinderella-like blue dress. Two Princess Diana tributes in one.
Kate’s Sapphire Engagement ring
When Kate announced her engagement to Prince William in November 2010, fans noticed her ring looked a little familiar. Kate’s engagement ring, which featured a unique 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire, was originally worn by Princess Diana when the royal got engaged to King Charles in February 1981. The ring is supposedly especially special, given reports that claim Princess Diana hand-selected the ring herself by picking it out of a catalogue.
Gold bracelet
Along with Princess Diana’s butterfly earrings, Meghan paid another tribute to her late mother-in-law with her gold bracelet. The Duchess of Sussex wore the accessory on her royal tour in Australia in October 2018. She was seen accessorizing a shirtdress with the bracelet, which featured an open clasp, at a visit in Sydney. Princess Diana was last seen wearing the gold bracelet while visiting the Lord Gage Centre for Old People in East London in September 1990.
Lover’s knot tiara
One of Princess Diana’s most notable pieces of jewelry is her Lover’s Knot tiara, which is sometimes also known as the Cambridge Lover’s Knot. Kate has worn the tiara on many occasions, but one of her most memorable looks was at a diplomatic reception in London in December 2016, where she was photographed with the expensive sparkler on top of her head. Princess Diana modeled the tiara in April 1983, a couple of years after her wedding, at an event in New Zealand.
Pearl bracelet
Many considered Princess Diana’s high-collared look in Hong Kong in November 1989 her “Elvis” look, but the outfit is also memorable because of the pearl bracelet on her wrist, which was designed by Nigel Milne. Since Diana’s “Elvis” look, Kate has modernized the pearl bracelet by wearing it on several occasions — most notably at a reception in Germany in July 2017.
Pearl necklace
Though unconfirmed, many speculate Meghan’s engagement ring, which she first wore in November 2017 at her engagement announcement with Prince Harry, includes two diamonds from Princess Diana’s famous pearl necklace. The engagement ring consists of three large diamonds, with one stone in the center flanked by two smaller stones. According to Harry, the side stones are from his mother’s jewelry collection (though it’s unclear which piece of jewelry they are from), while the large stone is from Botswana, a country close to the prince’s heart. Many speculate the diamonds are from Diana’s famous sapphire pearl necklace, which was made from a sapphire and diamond brooch given to her by the Queen Mother.
Sapphire & diamond earrings
Princess Diana’s original sapphire and diamond earring gems include a smaller one studded to the ear and a bigger one dangling from the first. (She wore the earrings, a gift from the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, on several occasions, but most notably at a reception in Brisbane in April 1983.) When Kate wore the earrings years later at the Diamond Jubilee in June 2012, the duchess chose to wear only one of the gems instead of two.
Originally posted on StyleCaster.
Before you go, click here to see all of our favorite photos of Princess Diana.
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