Kate Middleton turned to Princess Diana’s jewelry box again for this year’s Remembrance Sunday.
The Princess of Wales, 44, arrived at The Cenotaph in London wearing the late princess’s beloved Collingwood pearl earrings, pairing them with a brimmed hat and an all-black outfit. She pinned three red poppies to her coat, a gesture royal watchers believe honors her great-grandmother’s brothers who died in World War I.
Queen Camilla, 79, joined Middleton on the balcony as their husbands took part in the ceremony below. Prince William, 44, and King Charles III, 77, both laid wreaths during the annual service commemorating British and Commonwealth servicemen who died in war.
The pearl earrings have become something of a tradition for Middleton at remembrance events. Last year, she styled them with a black-and-white polka-dot dress and black headpiece at Westminster Abbey. She also wore them with a black coat dress to the 2024 service at the Royal Albert Hall.
Diana died at age 36 in 1997 after her vehicle crashed inside Paris’ Pont de l’Alma tunnel while being chased by paparazzi. She was in the car with boyfriend Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul, who also died. She had divorced Charles the year before.
While Middleton and William stood with the royal family at the central London memorial, Prince Harry kept his distance. Diana’s youngest son, 42, stood on a side street with locals in Brackley, Northamptonshire, wearing his medals and a poppy pin. He was not joined by Meghan Markle, 45, or their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5. The Duke of Sussex returned to live in the UK with his wife in late August.
The Collingwood-designed pearls have long been associated with Diana, who wore them frequently during her time as Princess of Wales. Middleton’s decision to wear them for Remembrance Sunday carries particular weight given the day’s focus on sacrifice and family legacy.
The National Service of Remembrance draws the royal family together annually, though this year highlighted ongoing fractures. Harry’s absence from the main ceremony came despite his recent move back to Britain, while Middleton’s jewelry choice emphasized continuity with the past.
Middleton’s three poppies stood out against her black ensemble, each one representing a fallen soldier in her family tree. The gesture has become part of her personal ritual at the event, alongside the pearl earrings that connect her to her husband’s mother.
