When Princess Charlotte, age seven, walked into Westminster Abbey for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, a small brooch sparkled in the light: a horseshoe pinned to her black dress.
The piece Princess Charlotte was wearing was a visual tribute to her late great grandmother. Queen Elizabeth II was a known lover of horses and racing. “I think this is her passion in life, and she loves it and you can tell how much she loves it,” Camilla, the Queen Consort, once told ITV. The Queen would often be spotted riding on the grounds of Windsor Castle well into her nineties.
Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, joined her daughter in honoring the monarch with jewelry. She sported a four-strand pearl necklace with a diamond clasp originally owned by Queen Elizabeth herself. The Princess wore this piece to the Queen and Prince Philip’s 70th wedding anniversary in 2017, and once again to Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021.
The Duchess of Sussex also chose to wear a pair of delicate pearl earrings, gifted to her by the Queen, for the funeral.
Pearls have a longtime association with royal women and mourning. Queen Victoria wore them as she marked the loss of her husband, Prince Albert in 1861, and centuries of aristocrats have followed her lead. “It’s very much a tradition,” author and jewelry historian Vivienne Becker once told Vogue. “It’s all about the suppression of color, and also pearls are not glittery or brash. By choosing them, you are being low-key and respectful.”
