That photograph of the then Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, staring out from the car—dressed in black, a netted veil framing her bright blue eyes, a demure mask, given it was held at the heights of the pandemic when funeral numbers were limited to 30 mourners—and sheathed in pearls was one of the most famous photographs to be taken at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in 2021 (discounting that picture of the lonesome Queen at the end of a pew in Windsor Castle).
The four strand pearl choker—first lent to Kate for the queen and Prince Philip’s 70th wedding anniversary in 2017—was a nod to her grandmother-in-law, but also Prince Philip and his marriage and service to the queen. Pearls, too, were a significant choice: they are often considered the royal choice for ‘mourning jewelry’—in a tradition that dates back to Queen Victoria’s era. The then Duchess of Cambridge wore the pearl choker alongside her Bahrain diamond and pearl drop earrings, which are also from the Queen’s collection.
Token pearl gestures—symbolic of grief—were omnipresent yesterday for the Queen’s coffin procession to Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace. The Princess of Wales wore a significant diamond and pearl leaf brooch which had once belonged to the queen. The intricate piece, worn by the queen on her 73rd birthday in 1999 during a tour of South Korea, features a trio of large pearls set in the center of a decorated leaf and had been loaned to Kate by her grandmother-in-law on other occasions. It’s thought that the pearl drop earrings the Princess wore once belonged to her late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales, as well.
