This week, Catherine, Princess of Wales stepped out to the Digger premiere in a rarely seen amethyst necklace that originally belonged to Queen Alexandra, bringing it out in public for only the second time in a century.
And while the future Queen has also shown a fondness for off-the-shelf pieces, today, we’re all about the rarest pieces we’ve seen Catherine wear.
Below, we have taken a deep dive into some of the uniquest pieces Catherine has brought out of the Royal vault for her various duties.
Princess Diana’s double-drop sapphire earrings
Gifted to Diana by Crown Prince Fahd of Saudi Arabia in the early 1980’s, the earrings became one of the pieces most closely associated with the Princess during her lifetime as she wore them on the cover of Vogue magazine. After Diana’s death, the earrings disappeared from view with it not being revealed what happened to them, leading to a rumour that they had been repurposed. This was finally put to bed when Catherine wore the earrings to Trooping the Colour in 2022, since making them more a staple of her wardrobe.
Cartier Nizam of Hyderabad Diamond Necklace
Created by the iconic French jeweller in the 1930’s, this necklace came into the possession of Queen Elizabeth II after Asaf Jah VII, the last Nizam of Hyderabad, offered her the choice of any gift from Cartier. Featuring 38 brilliant cut diamonds and a pendant with 13 emerald cut diamonds, it’s an ostentatious piece and one the Queen wore for official portraits early in her reign. The Queen would subsequently loan it to Catherine who has worn it twice in public.
Strathmore Rose Tiara
Given to the Queen Mother as a wedding gift in 1923, it was a semi-regular feature of her public appearances up until the end of the 1930’s when it disappeared completely. Queen Elizabeth II inherited but like many of her mother’s pieces, never wore it. In fact, the tiara went unworn in public for nearly an entire century until Catherine brought it out for a state banquet for South Korea in 2023.
Queen Victoria’s Oriental Circlet Tiara
Designed by Prince Albert and crafted by Royal jeweller, Garrard, this Indian influenced piece features a staggering 2,600 diamonds and 17 opals. One of the great heirlooms held by the Royals, the tiara has undergone some modifications over the years, mainly by Princess Alexandra who believed opals brought bad luck. It was seldom worn by the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II but Catherine returned the tiara to the spotlight at a state banquet for Germany.
The Delhi Durbar Emerald Choker
A gift to Queen Mary in 1911 during a trip to Delhi, it is said to have been one of her favourite pieces though she did have it largely remodelled in the 1920’s. Passing down the Royal line as a heirloom, Queen Elizabeth II was not a fan of chokers and kept it safely stored away during her time on the throne. Princess Diana took a liking to the choker and was seen wearing it twice but after her death in 1997, it remained hidden from public view until Catherine wore it to the Earthshot Prize Awards in 2022.
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