Kate Middleton keeps Princess Diana’s legacy alive with iconic earrings. See the pieces, the key dates she wore them, and what each jewel quietly signals.
At the coronation of King Charles III on 6 May 2023, Catherine, Princess of Wales, chose one of the most quietly powerful tributes possible : Princess Diana’s diamond and South Sea pearl earrings. The choice was deliberate, deeply visible on global broadcast, and widely noted by British media including The Telegraph and the BBC that day.
There was recent precedent. On 19 September 2022 at Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral, Catherine wore the Collingwood pearl earrings that belonged to Diana, a poignant nod to royal tradition where pearls are closely tied to mourning. The pattern is clear : the earrings are not simple accessories, they are messages stitched to memory and duty.
Princess Diana’s earrings on Kate Middleton : Collingwood pearls, South Sea pearls, and sapphires
The Collingwood pearl earrings entered royal life in 1981 as a wedding gift to Diana from London jeweller Collingwood. They feature a diamond stud with a small diamond element and a classic pearl drop. According to BBC coverage of the 2022 funeral, Catherine wore this exact pair for the service, aligning with the long standing royal link between pearls and remembrance.
The diamond and South Sea pearl earrings seen at the 2023 coronation were also worn by Diana in the late 1980s and 1990s. Multiple outlets, including The Telegraph’s live report on 6 May 2023, identified the sparkling diamond tops with large detachable white pearl drops. Catherine’s pick connected the new reign to the mother in law she never met, twenty six years after 1997.
There is a third strand too. The sapphire and diamond earrings associated with the Saudi sapphire suite, gifted to Diana in 1981, have been reworked and worn by Catherine in recent years. Publications focused on royal jewelery such as The Court Jeweller have documented how the pieces were adapted into a sleek drop that mirrors Catherine’s modern wardrobe while preserving Diana’s blue signature.
Key dates and places you saw them : 2017, 2022, 2023
June 2017 brought a lighter moment. During Royal Ascot, Catherine paired a white lace dress with the Collingwood pearl earrings, a match noted by fashion press including Vogue that week. The styling showed the design works outside state mourning and still reads elegant at close range.
On 19 September 2022, the world watched a state farewell. BBC broadcasts confirmed the Collingwood pearls at Westminster Abbey, with the Princess of Wales also wearing a four strand pearl choker from Queen Elizabeth II’s collection. Pearls carried weight that day, as they often do in British royal protocol during periods of grief.
Then came 6 May 2023. For the coronation at Westminster Abbey, The Telegraph and other UK outlets identified Diana’s diamond and South Sea pearl earrings on Catherine. High ceremony, bright diamonds, luminous pearls, and a direct line to the late Princess of Wales sitting visibly on camera, minute after minute.
Why these heirlooms matter, and how to spot which pair is which
Royal jewels are history in motion. Pearls speak quietly in moments of solemnity, which explains their presence at the 2022 funeral. Sapphires echo Diana’s visual identity, the same blue thread that runs from her engagement ring to evening sets she wore across the 1980s. The choices are not random, they are narrative cues.
Spotting them is easier than it seems. The Collingwood earrings have a simple diamond stud with a small connector, then a neat white pearl drop. The South Sea pair look bolder : a sparkling diamond top and a larger rounded pearl drop that reads grand in photographs. The reworked sapphire earrings transmit that inimitable navy flash, gemstones circled by diamonds, a refined drop that sits slightly longer on the ear.
There is also continuity in the timeline. Diana received multiple jewel gifts in 1981, including the Collingwood earrings and the Saudi sapphire suite. Decades later, Catherine brings those pieces back into service at high visibility events such as Royal Ascot in 2017, the state funeral in 2022, and the coronation in 2023. Dates matter here because they map how the family communicates tradition in public view.
What changes is styling. Necklines are cleaner, silhouettes sharper, and the earrings are often the heritage note that bridges past and present. The effect is intentional, and audiences respond to it. When those pearls catch the light or the sapphires glow, memory and modern duty move together, and that is exactly what the Princess of Wales seems to be aiming to achieve.