From her sapphire engagement ring to sentimental pearl earrings, the Princess of Wales wears several jewels connected to her late mother-in-law.
Kate Middleton’s jewelry collection includes a particularly meaningful connection to Princess Diana. Her sapphire engagement ring is the most recognizable example, but it is far from the only piece that links the two women. Pearl earrings, a delicate bracelet, and striking sapphire drops have also appeared in both princesses’ royal wardrobes.
© Tim GrahamTheir shared jewelry history comes with an important distinction: some pieces belonged personally to Diana, while others were historic royal jewels she borrowed.
Diana’s wishes for her own collection were outlined in a letter requesting that her jewelry be allocated between her sons so their future wives could have or use it.
The sapphire engagement ring:
The most famous jewel connecting Kate and Diana began its royal story in 1981, when Diana selected her engagement ring from Garrard. The jeweler confirms that its centerpiece is a 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire, surrounded by diamonds and set in 18-carat white gold.
© Karwai TangNearly three decades later, Prince William proposed to Kate with the same ring. The royal family’s official account confirms that the couple’s engagement was announced on November 16, 2010, and that William used his mother’s engagement ring. The choice gave a deeply personal family heirloom a new chapter in another royal love story.
The Collingwood pearl earrings:
Diana received these diamond-and-pearl earrings as a wedding gift from Collingwood, a jewelry firm associated with the Spencer family. She began wearing them before her marriage, including at a dinner honoring King Khalid of Saudi Arabia at Claridge’s in June 1981.
© Getty ImagesThe earrings became a familiar part of Diana’s evening wardrobe, often accompanying the Lover’s Knot tiara. Kate brought that combination back for the Spanish state banquet at Buckingham Palace in July 2017, wearing the earrings with the tiara and a ruby necklace borrowed from Queen Elizabeth II.
She also selected the earrings for portraits released to celebrate her 40th birthday in 2022.
The three-strand pearl bracelet:
Diana’s Nigel Milne bracelet offers a subtler connection between the two princesses. Designed in 1988, it features three strands of pearls with pearl-and-diamond spacers.
© JUSTIN TALLISKate was first publicly seen wearing the bracelet during a reception in Germany in July 2017. Its understated design makes it an easy companion to the pearl earrings that have also become part of her royal wardrobe.
© Max Mumby/IndigoThe bracelet’s history also touches on Diana’s charity work. According to British Vogue, it formed part of a collection created to raise money for Birthright, a charity supporting research into pregnancy and childbirth. Diana wore it at the charity’s ball in 1989.
The double-drop sapphire and diamond earrings:
Another recognizable piece from Diana’s personal collection is her pair of double-drop sapphire earrings. Their dark cabochon sapphires, polished into rounded shapes, are framed by diamonds.
© Tim GrahamDiana wore them during memorable appearances, including the 1985 White House visit when she danced with John Travolta. Kate has since worn the earrings for occasions ranging from Trooping the Colour to state visit ceremonies.
© Max Mumby/IndigoKate’s first public appearance in the original double-drop pair came at Trooping the Colour in June 2022. Although reports have often suggested that her smaller sapphire earrings were remodeled from Diana’s jewels, that claim should not be treated as established fact.
The diamond earrings with interchangeable pearl drops:
Diana also owned an elaborate pair of diamond earrings associated with large South Sea pearl drops. Their upper sections feature a horseshoe design and intricate diamond detailing.
© Max Mumby/IndigoKate wore the diamond settings to the BAFTA Awards in 2019 with smaller pearl drops attached. That detail matters: the earrings preserve a connection to Diana’s collection, while Kate’s version changes their proportions.
The Lover’s Knot tiara:
Few jewels are more closely associated with Diana than the Lover’s Knot tiara, but Kate did not inherit it from her.
© Anwar HusseinGarrard created the tiara for Queen Mary in 1913, drawing inspiration from an earlier family tiara. Queen Elizabeth II inherited it in 1953 and later made it available to Diana. Kate first wore it publicly at the diplomatic reception in December 2015.
Its appearance on both princesses reflects the continuing use of historic royal jewelry rather than a transfer through Diana’s personal estate.
© Chris JacksonQueen Mary’s emerald choker:
The emerald-and-diamond choker Kate wore to the Earthshot Prize ceremony in Boston in December 2022 has an equally distinctive history.
Its original form was presented to Queen Mary by the Ladies of India in 1911. Garrard remodeled it into an Art Deco choker in 1921, and Queen Elizabeth II inherited it in 1953.
© Mark CuthbertShe subsequently loaned it to Diana, who famously wore it across her forehead during a visit to Australia in 1985.
Kate’s Boston appearance revived one of Diana’s most recognizable jewelry moments. However, the necklace came from the royal vaults, rather than Diana’s personal inheritance.
© Karwai TangThe four-row pearl choker and the Prince of Wales feathers brooch:
Two more pieces complete the publicly documented connection. Queen Elizabeth II’s four-row pearl choker was loaned to Diana for a banquet in 1982. Kate later wore it at the funerals of Prince Philip in 2021 and Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.
© Tim GrahamThe Prince of Wales feathers brooch has an even longer history. It was a wedding gift to the future Queen Alexandra from the Ladies of North Wales in 1863. Diana often wore it as a necklace pendant, while Kate wore it as a brooch for the South African state visit in November 2022.
Like the tiara and royal chokers, it belongs in the story of jewels both women have worn, rather than a list of pieces Kate inherited directly from Diana.
© Max Mumby/Indigo
