At a Buckingham Palace lunch today, the Princess of Wales was spotted wearing a set of pearls that belonged to the Queen.
During a lunch today with Commonwealth Leaders at Buckingham Palace, Kate, Princess of Wales, was seen wearing a pearl necklace and earrings that once belonged to Queen Elizabeth.
The three-strand pearl necklace, which the Palace has confirmed was the late monarch's, was often worn by Queen Elizabeth. "She wasn't interested in material things at all. She wore the same pearl necklace every day," the Queen's former assistant private secretary, Sam Cohen told People.
This is not the first time this week that Kate has honored Queen Elizabeth with her jewelry; on Wednesday, the Princess of Wales wore the Queen's Diamond and Pearl Leaf brooch.
Yesterday, Kate wore pearl earrings to meet troops taking part in the Queen's funeral. They also appear to be the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Pearl Earrings, according to Lauren Kiehna of The Court Jeweller.
We can expect to see pearl jewelry at the Queen's funeral on Monday. During Queen Victoria's reign, pearls became tied with mourning. After her husband Prince Albert died in 1861, Queen Victoria famously only wore black and colorless jewelry, especially pearls.
For her father King George VI, Queen Elizabeth wore pearls while she was mourning. The Queen also wore pearls to the funerals of her sister Princess Margaret and her former daughter-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales.
While Kate did not attend the vigil at Westminster Hall today, in which the Queen's eight grandchildren stood watch around the late monarch's coffin, she is expected to be present at the state funeral on Monday.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the news writer for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
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