Kate Middleton is paying tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II. On Monday, Prince William and Kate appeared formally as the Prince and Princess of Wales for the late monarch’s burial, with their new titles conferred by King Charles III when Her Majesty died on September 8.
The Princess of Wales was accompanied by her and William’s two oldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Kate, 40, arrived at Westminster Abbey in an all-black coat dress with a matching cap, where she and William married in 2011. The necklace Kate wore formerly belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II and was worn by her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
The Japanese government presented Her Majesty with a choker made of the finest cultivated pearls. The late monarch paid her first state visit to Japan in 1975, and the choker was still in use until 1982. During a royal visit to the Netherlands in 1982, the queen loaned it to her daughter-in-law at the time, Princess Diana, who inspired the design.
The queen loaned the necklace to Kate for the first time in 2017.
Kate wore the necklace on Monday as a gesture of memory for the longest reigning British queen. When Kate and her children arrived at the church, they joined William and sat in one of the front rows with other members of the royal family.
Kate has been seen wearing various items of jewelry given to her by the queen since the queen’s death on September 8.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, William and Kate were given their new titles.
“Today I am proud to create him Prince of Wales, the country whose title I’ve been so proud to bear,” King Charles said during a pre-recorded message from Buckingham Palace on Sept. 9. “With Catherine beside him, our new Prince and Princess of Wales will, I know, continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring the marginal to the center ground where vital help can be given.”
Kate’s title was formerly held by William’s late mother, Princess Diana.
“This was not automatic,” royal expert Katie Nicholl said of William and Kate’s new titles. “It was upon the wishes of King Charles. Of course, those titles are hugely significant. King Charles was the longest-serving Prince of Wales this country has ever had.”