We count down the Princess of Wales’ best jewellery moments, from her Cartier Halo wedding tiara to her Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra suite. Sit back, relax and feast your eyes on these fantastic bejewelled baubles…
Topaz Earrings
During last year’s annual Royal Family’s Christmas Day Church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Kate wore a pair of earrings by one of her favourite British designers, Robinson Pelham.
The Daystar Diamond earrings, which cost £5,995, feature a pair of shield-shaped blue topaz and crescent-shaped topaz (for a total of roughly 10 carats), framed in 14k yellow gold and ringed with white diamonds, their claw settings designed to resemble stars.
Mulberry Pearl Earrings
To host her annual carol service at Westminster Abbey in 2024, the Princess of Wales gleamed in a pair of $225 baroque pearl and gold-coloured metal ‘Amberley’ earrings from British brand Mulberry. The set features a distinctive lock-shaped gold link as a nod to the clasp on the label’s iconic Amberley handbags.
By Pariah Gold Hoops
The Princess of Wales attended the Men’s Singles Final at Wimbledon 2024 wearing this pair of gold ‘Sabine’ hoop earrings by contemporary jewellery brand, By Pariah. The fabulous chunky hoops, which cost £400, are a bestseller for the London-based maker and are crafted with recycled Sterling silver and 14k gold vermeil.
The Coronation Headdress
A more informal, tiara-less vibe may have ruled over the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in the summer of 2023, but the new Princess of Wales played an absolute blinder in an ornate beaded silver headdress by Alexander McQueen and milliner Jess Collett (which purportedly cost around £30,000 to make). She paired it with diamond and South Sea pearl earrings which once belonged to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
The Garrard Engagement Ring
In 2010, Prince William proposed to Kate in Kenya with this 12-carat, oval-cut Ceylon sapphire ring that once belonged to his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and unknowingly kickstarted a trend for colourful gemstone engagement rings which is still going strong today. Designed by Garrard, the iconic sparkler is surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds and set in white gold. Kate is reported to have had the ring slightly resized, adding platinum beads within the band to reduce its diameter.
The Cartier Halo Tiara
You could have heard the nation’s collective sighs from outer space when the former Kate Middleton appeared in her lacy Alexander McQueen gown and the Cartier Halo tiara on her wedding day in 2011. The diadem was famously lent to her (her ‘something borrowed’) by Queen Elizabeth II and was set with 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baguette diamonds. Its origins date back to 1936, when George VI commissioned Cartier to create the diadem with the diamonds and platinum he had purchased for his wife three weeks before he became King George VI. Kate teamed the tiara with a pair of diamond drop earrings from Robinson Pelham, which were a wedding gift from her parents.
The Van Cleef & Arpels’ Alhambra Suite
It’s not always about tiaras for Kate. The Princess is also a repeat wearer of a mother-of-pearl Alhambra suite by Parisian jeweller, Van Cleef & Arpels. The pieces are thought to be a gift from her Royal in-laws and their history is rooted in the late 1960s, when the line was introduced and famously embraced by Princess Grace of Monaco. Its lucky quatrefoil motif is inspired by the Moorish architecture of Spain’s Alhambra Palace.
The Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara
Ok, that said, we absolutely adore Kate in the Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara, which she also frequently (and aptly) wore as the Duchess of Cambridge. Crafted in 1914 by Garrard for Queen Mary, the headpiece is actually a famous copy of an earlier tiara, the original Cambridge Lover’s Knot Tiara, which was created for Mary’s grandmother, Princess Augusta of Hesse (and is currently owned by a private family). It was also a former favourite of Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace
She’s recently honed her jewellery look with either big earrings or fabulous headpieces, but in 2014, Catherine stepped out to an event at the National Portrait Gallery wearing a dazzling diamond necklace, which was lent to her by Queen Elizabeth II and had been a wedding gift to the Queen from the Nizam of Hyderabad.
The Lotus Flower Tiara
For official events, such as receptions at Buckingham Palace, Kate gets to bring out the best bits from the Royal Vault and the Lotus Flower Tiara is becoming a firm favourite. Given as a wedding present to Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in 1923, it was originally made as a necklace before being transformed into a tiara, and formerly belonged to Princess Margaret.
The Queen’s Pearl Choker Necklace
Most recently worn for a ceremonial welcome to kick-off the two-day visit of Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and his wife, Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, this lovely four-strand pearl necklace was passed down by Queen Elizabeth II and was reportedly crafted for her with pearls given as a present by the Japanese government. Kate also touchingly wore it to Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021.
The Queen Mary Emerald and Diamond Choker
What else to wear to celebrate the Earthshot Prize back in 2022 but some eye-catching emeralds? Once a piece from Princess Diana’s jewellery collection, the fetching emerald and diamond collar was first worn by Queen Mary in 1911 and later given to Princess Diana in 1981 as a wedding present.
The Crystal Onitaa Earrings
Come ON. Kate didn’t come to play as she stepped out onto the red carpet for the premiere of the James Bond film, “No Time to Die” back in 2021. In fact, her sequinned Jenny Packham gown and golden crystal earrings by South Asian designer, Onitaa (which she also wore on a royal trip to Belize) transformed her into a walking, talking, life-sized jewel and helped her totally steal the show from Mr. Bond himself. Which is what you can do when you’re the Princess of Wales, isn’t it?
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