A final goodbye. Princess Kate sent a heartfelt message with her jewelry at Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral.
Kate, 40, wore a pearl-string necklace — a piece from Her Majesty’s royal collection — as she and other members of the royal family paid their respects to the late monarch at Westminster Abbey in London on Monday, September 19. The Princess of Wales paired the piece, which was also worn by Princess Diana in the 1980s, with dangling earrings and a veiled fascinator. Kate finalized her look with a tailored suit dress and coordinating black pumps.
Prince William‘s wife, who arrived at Monday’s ceremony with her children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, has been honoring Elizabeth with her accessories throughout the U.K.’S mourning period, which began after the queen died at age 96 on September 8. On Wednesday, September 14, Kate wore the queen’s pearl-leaf brooch as she participated in Her Majesty’s procession to Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace.
Elizabeth famously wore the sparkler in 1999. Kate styled the look with a tailored coat dress and a dainty hat that featured a netted veil. (The princess wore earrings from the queen as she and other members of the royal family received Elizabeth’s casket at the palace on Tuesday, September 13.)
Throughout her 70-year reign, the queen lended her jewelry out on special occasions. Kate first wore one of her grandmother-in-law’s tiaras at her April 2011 wedding to William, 40, sporting the sparkling Cartier “Halo” design that held her sheer veil.
At the queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June, the Duchess of Cambridge gave a nod to the crown while wearing the sovereign’s Bahrain pearl drop earrings at the Service of Thanksgiving, which Elizabeth did not attend due to discomfort.
The late monarch’s death came more than one year after her husband Prince Philip‘s passing in April 2021. (The couple shared four children: King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.)
Following her death, Charles, 73, assumed the throne. His wife, formerly Duchess Camilla, was named Queen Consort. Kate became the Princess of Wales, a title previously held by the late Princess Diana, and William is now the Prince of Wales.
“The death of my beloved mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family,” Charles wrote in a statement shared via his Clarence House Twitter account on September 8. “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world.”
Following Monday’s ceremony, a committal service will occur at Windsor Castle. Elizabeth will be buried in a prepared tomb at the King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle alongside Philip.
Additionally, a nationwide moment of silence will take place after Big Ben is struck.
