The Princess of Wales paid a very personal tribute at the centenary of Queen Elizabeth II with her choice of outfit and it wasn’t just her jewellery that did the talking.
While Kate’s three strand pearl necklace was instantly recognisable as a nod to the late Monarch as the gems had been a favourite of Elizabeth II.
But the Princess of Wales also chose a mauve pink dress for the commemorative event, at Buckingham Palace, another real tribute to Queen Elizabeth II.
For the late Queen often chose shades of pink and mauve for some of the most important moments in her life.
Perhaps Elizabeth II’s most famous pink outfit was the dress and hat she wore for her Silver Jubilee celebrations in 1977. The pink gown was created by Sir Hardy Amies, one of her favourite designers, while the iconic hat was the work of Simone Mirman and was celebrated for the distinctive flowing flowerheads at the back of the headpiece.
Elizabeth II’s choice of pink for her Jubilee Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1977 was her own link to royal history. For as a nine year old, she had worn a mauve pink dress to the Jubilee celebrations of her grandfather, King George V, when he marked 25 years on the throne in 1935.
In fact, the late Queen was so fond of the shade that she chose an image of herself wearing it for the official photograph used in the run up to the Platinum Jubilee of 2022.
The Princess of Wales chose a dress by Emilia Wickstead in a light mauve pink for the reception at Buckingham Palace where the Royal Family came together to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Elizabeth II with representatives of some of the charities of which the late Queen had been patron. They also met centenarians marking their own milestone birthdays with King Charles handing over the traditional royal greeting to them at the Palace.
It was Kate’s jewellery that also caught the eye with a poignant nod to Elizabeth II.
The Princess wore the three strand pearl necklace which Elizabeth II had so loved and which she wore for her final appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony when she greeted the huge crowds who turned out to see her for the final day of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Also on show again today were the Bahrain Pearl Earrings that had belonged to Queen Elizabeth II. The earrings were made from some of the pearls given to Elizabeth as a wedding gift from the then ruler of Bahrain. Elizabeth II loaned them to Diana, Princess of Wales and Kate has worn them several times since 2022.
The tribute from Kate came on a day when the Royal Family made several tributes to Queen Elizabeth II on the 100th anniversary of her birth. Earlier in the day, King Charles and Queen Camilla had viewed final plans for the national memorial to the late Queen which will be placed in St. James’ Park. It features a glass cast bridge based on her wedding tiara as well as statues of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, which have already attracted some controversial debate.
The Buckingham Palace celebration brought together several generations of the Royal Family with Elizabeth II’s cousins, the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra, also joining the celebrations alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales. The Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester also attended.
Princess Anne had already officially opened a memorial garden for Queen Elizabeth II earlier in the day.
