The ladies of the royal family wore jewelry with special significance and personal connections to Queen Elizabeth II at her state funeral in Westminster Abbey on Monday.
Some of the pieces had been loaned to members of the royal family by the Queen. Camilla, Queen Consort, wore a historical diamond and sapphire piece from the royal family’s collection — a brooch known as the “Hesse Jubilee Diamond Brooch” that was once owned by Queen Victoria. Catherine, Princess of Wales, (more commonly known by her maiden name, Kate Middleton) wore a four-row pearl choker and the Bahrain pearl drop earrings that were worn in the past by the Queen and Princess Diana. (In a sweet touch, she wore the same set of jewelry to the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, on April 17, 2021.)
The jewelry was identified by Lauren Kiehna, who chronicles the collections of the world’s royal families on her website, the Court Jeweller. Kiehna explained the significance of the Queen’s practice of loaning jewelry to BuzzFeed News.
“The Queen shared jewelry with other members of her family largely as a way to provide them with the pieces they needed to wear for important occasions,” Kiehna said. “I do think there’s sometimes some sentimental resonance involved with some of the loans, which were usually given on a long-term basis.”
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Princess Charlotte of Wales, however, wore jewelry that had been gifted to them by the Queen.
Here’s a closer look at the jewelry that Camilla, Kate, Meghan, and Charlotte wore:
