Kate Middleton Dons Gorgeous Earrings Given To The Queen at Her Wedding With Prince Philip

Apr 20, 2021

On Friday, April 9, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, passed away at the age of 99 years old. Philip's passing ends his reign as the longest-serving royal spouse, having served alongside Queen Elizabeth II for 65 years and having been married to the monarch for 73 years in total.

Philip's funeral on April 17, 2021, was a quiet affair with only 30 people in attendance due to the coronavirus restrictions. Generally, a man of Philips's stature would have received a state funeral with a minimum of 800 people in attendance, but this could not happen due to the ongoing pandemic. The guestlist of 30 people only comprised of the closest royal family members, which naturally included Prince William and Prince Harry.

The brothers have faced challenged in their relationship for the last year and the whole world had their eyes on the brothers' interaction at the funeral. However, Prince William's wife — Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge — has been seen by many as a peacekeeper between the two brothers. Her role as such was definitely played out at the funeral on Saturday, but it's not just the two brothers that Middleton has been thinking about.

Kate Middleton's accessories at the funeral were more thoughtful than ever, as her necklace was a tribute to both the newly widowed Queen Elizabeth, as well as the late Princess Diana. Middleton's pearl earrings also served as a nod to Queen Elizabeth and her marriage to Prince Philip.

Read on to learn more about the significance behind the earrings that Kate Middleton wore to Prince Philip's funeral on Saturday, and how it's a thoughtful tribute to his marriage with Queen Elizabeth. 

The funeral marked the first time Harry was back on English soil after stepping down from the duties of a senior royal just a year ago, Metro reported. His wife Meghan Markle could not join him, as the couple is expecting their second child soon. Due to Markle being heavily pregnant, she had been advised by doctors not to fly during this time. It is understood, however, that she had made every effort to join her husband until her doctors did not give her clearance. 

BBC reported that the Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge were seen talking together after they left the funeral of their grandfather. During the procession from Windsor Castle to St. George's Chapel, the princes walked with their cousin Peter Phillips between them. After the service, the brothers were deep in conversation and later were joined by Harry's sister-in-law Kate Middleton. 

The Sun reported that William has previously called his wife a "peacemaker" in the family, and that may have helped to thaw the cold relationship between Harry and his brother. Harry was first seen talking to Kate Middleton after the queen left the funeral in her car. After other mourners had left the chapel, William let Harry and Kate catch up before joining them. The three of them then walked together, before Kate stepped back ever so slightly so that the brother could walk and chat together. Dubbed as the peacemaker, Middleton was not only thinking about the two brothers on Saturday, but also about the importance of her jewelry choices. 

It's no surprise then that important funeral attendees such as Kate have decided to tribute not only Philip, but also Elizabeth in her choice of accessories for the funeral on Saturday. In fact, there's even an entire royal tradition behind it.

According to The Court Jeweller, the tradition of wearing pearls during times of mourning dates all the way back to Queen Victoria. The general idea is that white or colorless jewels like diamonds and pearls don't sparkle as much as flashier colored jewels like emeralds and rubies. Not intended to catch the eye or steal the spotlight, wearing pearls are diamonds on top of the traditional dark and black mourning attire is custom for the Royal Family. 

Kate wore a Japanese pearl choker that was worn by the queen and Princess Diana, along with matching earrings. Kate previously wore the same choker at a dinner celebrating the Queen and Philip's 70th wedding anniversary. The same dangling earrings and matching choker pair were once worn by the late Princess Diana.

The earrings, however, have a different story. They were gifted to the queen by the Hakim of Bahrain as a wedding present when she married Philip in 1947. The ruler of Bahrain had gifted then Princess Elizabeth several large pearls, and two of them were used to create the drop earrings. The gleaming pearls are attached with trios of round and baguette diamonds, allowing them to dangle. Although Middleton has worn the earrings to other outings such as Remembrance Sunday in 2016, their symbolism at the funeral was more poignant than ever.

Given the highly sentimental meaning behind the jewels, it's to no surprise that Kate chose to wear them to Philip's funeral on Saturday. Not only was Kate serving as a means of peace between her husband William and his brother Harry, but Kate clearly also made the choice to be extra thoughtful about her attire for the funeral — even down to the necklace and earrings. 

What do you think about Kate's thoughtful earrings? What other jewelry pieces did you spot that have deeper meanings? Let us know your thoughts and be sure to pass this on to others who are interested in learning about the symbolic funeral pearls.