Kate Middleton's Symbolic Jewelry Worn At Queen Elizabeth's Funeral
The new Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, Prince William's wife, chose symbolic jewelry for the outfit worn at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.
According to AFP, Kate Middleton wore a necklace with four strings of pearls set with diamonds, which belonged to Queen Elizabeth II.
Kate Middleton's Symbolic Pearl & Diamond Necklace
The pearl and diamond necklace was designed by the famous British jeweler Garrard, the first house to be appointed official Crown Jeweler.
The necklace was also worn by the late Princess Diana in 1982 - who also held the title of Princess of Wales at the time - during a state visit to London by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
The valuable piece of jewelry was commissioned by the Queen from a set of pearls donated by the Japanese government after her first state visit to that country in 1975, according to The Court Jeweler, a blog specializing in royal jewelry.
Kate Middleton's Fabulous Earrings
The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, paired the necklace with diamond and pearl earrings from Bahrain, also from the sovereign's collection.
The earrings were created from pearls received as a gift from Bahrain on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II's marriage to Philip Mountbatten in 1947. These jewels were often worn by the British monarch during his early years of reign.
Kate Middleton wore the same set of jewels to the funeral of Prince Philip, who died last year.
British designers were also in the spotlight at state funerals held with pomp and circumstance, as Kate Middleton wore a black dress by Alexander McQueen.
Queen Elizabeth II died on 8 September, at the age of 96. Her funeral took place on 19 September, with the service at Westminster Abbey, with billions of people around the world watching the grand event.
The late Queen of Great Britain had a massive private jewelry collection that consisted of 300 pieces, including 98 brooches, 46 necklaces, 34 pairs of earrings, 15 rings, 14 watches, and five pendants.
The Crown Jewels are housed in the Tower of London and have been collected since the 17th century. It contains more than 23,000 diamonds, sapphires, and rubies.
