Kate Middleton Wears Queen Elizabeth's Necklace and Princess Diana's Earrings at Coronation
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The Princess of Wales paid thoughtful tribute with her coronation jewels
Kate Middleton slipped on something special for the coronation.
The Princess of Wales, 41, honored Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana at the crowning ceremony through jewelry, wearing the late monarch's George VI Festoon Necklace with the South Sea Pearl Earrings, which belonged to her mother-in-law.
The glittering George VI Festoon Necklace features three strands of diamonds and was created in 1950 at the commission of King George VI for his eldest daughter, then-Princess Elizabeth. Queen Elizabeth reached for the piece for state dinners and special occasions throughout her record-breaking reign.
Related:Kate Middleton's Royal Style: Every Outfit Worn by the Princess of Wales in 2023...So Far
Princess Kate has worn her grandmother-in-law's jewelry many times through the years, paying homage several times since the Queen's death in September of 2022. The Princess of Wales wore Queen Elizabeth's pearl and diamond drop earrings and trademark three-strand pearl necklace for a few of the funerary events and paired the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings with a four-strand pearl choker that previously belonged to Queen Elizabeth for the sovereign's state funeral and committal service.
"Pearls are one of the very few jewelry items you can wear in mourning and are inextricably linked with Queen Elizabeth and her personal jewelry legacy," Bethan Holt, author of The Queen: 70 Years of Majestic Style, previously told PEOPLE. "It's a symbol of mourning a monarch but also a grandmother or great-grandmother."
Princess Kate had also worn pieces from Queen Elizabeth's jewelry box for other major occasions, memorably beginning with the Cartier Halo Tiara for her royal wedding to Prince William in 2011. Through the years, Queen Elizabeth lent Kate everything from her Maple Leaf Brooch to emerald tassel earrings and Edinburgh Wedding Bracelet, a sweet engagement gift from Prince Philip.
Kate has worn Diana's diamond and pearl South Sea Pearl Earrings before, including at the most recent Remembrance Sunday service. Diana often reached for the sparkling set for formal events through the 1990s, though Vogue reports that Kate tweaked the pair (which she's worn before). According to the outlet, she changed out the baubles for smaller, pear-shaped gems instead of the larger, circular pearls Diana was pictured in.
Kate has also previously honored her late-mother-law through fashion in the past, putting her own stylish spin on some of Princess Diana's most memorable looks and wearing her iconic sapphire engagement ring since Prince William proposed in 2010. Kate also favors the Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara for state occasions — a sparkler that was famously a favorite of Diana's.
"I think we have seen lots of examples where the reference is very intentional and I think that Kate uses fashion to pay tribute to Diana in a very positive way," Bethan Holt, Fashion News and Features Director of The Daily Telegraph, previously told PEOPLE.
Holt pointed out that it was Prince William who memorably suggested the idea for Diana's charity gown auction in 1997, noting that William "has always been very conscious of his mother as a style icon."
"I think that William and Kate between them might have decided that actually on some occasions it's a really nice thing for Kate to reference the fact that Diana is still a fashion muse today and to do that through her own clothes," the editor said.
"For a few years at the beginning of her marriage, she was very tentative and we didn't see her doing it very much," Holt said of the deliberate tributes. "As she's become more confident in her own style, knowing what works for her, she's then been able to incorporate those Diana moments into her own wardrobe and she's done it in a way that really makes sense."
The Princess of Wales joined members of the royal family at Westminster Abbey on Saturday for the historic crowning ceremony of her father-in-law.
Princess Kate completed her jewelry look with a Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpiece with silver bullion, crystal and silver threadwork three-dimensional leaf embroidery — and Princess Charlotte matched!
Ahead of the coronation, there was much speculation about if Princess Kate would wear a tiara for the crowning ceremony. While women in the royal family traditionally wore sparkly head-toppers for previous coronations, PEOPLE understands the decision for today's coronation was fluid as recently as six weeks ago.
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