A touching tribute.
Dressed in all black, today mourners have arrived at Westminister Abbey to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and pay their final respects to her Majesty. Among those mourning Queen Elizabeth II’s death, are of course members of the royal family, several of whom have paid special homage to the Queen through their clothing and jewellery choices.
Catherine, Princess Of Wales, in particular, arrived at the church alongside her children wearing an all-black outfit, complete with a black hat and veil. The royal paired the look alongside a 4-strand pearl choker and pearl earrings. While pearls are a traditional choice of mourning for members of the royal family, Kate’s necklace is particularly special given it once belonged to Queen Elizabeth II herself.
The four-stranded pearl necklace features a diamond clasp and is said to have been added to the Queen’s jewellery collection sometime in the 1970s. According to The Court Jeweller, the necklace was constructed by Garrard. Her Majesty was seen wearing the necklace on several occasions, including during a royal engagement in Bangladesh in 1983, which is pictured below.
Queen Elizabeth also famously loaned the necklace to Princess Diana, who wore the choker to a state dinner in 1982 when Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands was visiting.
This is not the first time Princess Catherine has been spotted in the precious family heirloom. In fact, Kate wore the same necklace when mourning the death of Prince Philip, The Duke Of Edinburgh in April of last year.
Opting for pearls during a period of mourning, as opposed to diamonds or other jewels is seen as a sign of respect, given the understated nature of the item. We can only imagine, that Princess Catherine is reflecting on all the times spent with Queen Elizabeth, as she pays homage to her Majesty today.
