The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, exuded elegance and grace as she attended the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh today.
In a heartfelt tribute to both the monarch and her late mother-in-law, Kate adorned herself with the Queen’s pearl choker from Her Majesty’s personal collection.
This poignant service took place in Windsor, where the Duchess wore the same necklace that she had previously worn for the Queen and Prince Philip’s 70th wedding anniversary dinner at Windsor Castle in 2017.
Notably, the late Princess Diana had also worn this significant piece of jewelry back in 1982.
The Queen had loaned the Japanese pearl choker to Diana, who had a fondness for pearls, for a banquet held at Hampton Court Palace during the Dutch royal family’s visit to the UK.
This event marked one of Diana’s initial royal engagements following her marriage to Prince Charles.
The choker, consisting of four strands of pearls with a central curved diamond clasp, was created using some of the finest cultured pearls gifted by the Japanese government.
Over the years, the Queen herself had worn this exquisite piece on various occasions, including a dinner celebrating former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s 70th birthday in London in 1995.
To complement her attire, the Duchess chose a chic black Roland Maurit dress with an asymmetrical neckline, which she had previously worn for the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance in 2018.
She completed her look with a black face covering and a Philip Treacy velvet pillbox hat.
Additionally, Kate adorned herself with the Bahrain Pearl Diamond Drop earrings, also from the Queen’s private collection and previously worn by Princess Diana in 1982.
These earrings were crafted using pearls gifted to the Queen and Prince Philip by the ruler of Bahrain during their wedding in 1947.
Since the announcement of Prince Philip’s passing last week, Kate had not made any public appearances.
However, the official Kensington Royal Instagram account paid tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh by sharing a photo of him with Prince George.
Although the Duchess has participated in numerous royal events throughout the years, this was her first major royal funeral.
Prince William expressed his gratitude for the years Kate had to get to know his grandfather, as she married into the royal family in 2011 after nearly a decade of knowing William.
The funeral was a poignant event attended by the Queen, as well as their children and grandchildren.
Prince Philip was described as someone who enriched the lives of all those he knew with his kindness, humor, and humanity.
Kate was driven from Kensington Palace to Windsor alongside her husband in a Land Rover.
William then left her to join the procession with other members of the royal family.