That photograph of Kate Middleton, then the Duchess of Cambridge, staring out of a car, dressed in black—with a netted veil framing her bright blue eyes and a demure mask (it was held during the height of the pandemic, when funeral numbers were limited to 30 mourners)—and sheathed in pearls was one of the most famous photographs to be taken at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in 2021 (discounting that picture of the lonesome queen at the end of a pew in Windsor Castle).
The four-strand pearl choker, first lent to Kate for the queen and Prince Philip’s 70th wedding anniversary in 2017, was a nod to her grandmother-in-law but also to Prince Philip and his marriage and service to the queen. Pearls, too, were a significant choice: They are often considered the royal choice for “mourning jewelry”—in a tradition that dates back to Queen Victoria’s era. Kate wore the pearl choker alongside her Bahrain diamond and pearl drop earrings, which are also from the queen’s collection.
Token pearl gestures—symbolic of grief—were omnipresent yesterday for the queen’s coffin procession to Westminster Hall from Buckingham Palace. The Princess of Wales wore a significant diamond and pearl leaf brooch which had once belonged to the queen. The intricate piece, worn by the queen on her 73rd birthday in 1999 during a tour of South Korea, features a trio of large pearls set in the center of a decorated leaf and had been loaned to Kate by her grandmother-in-law on other occasions. It’s also thought that the pearl drop earrings the princess wore once belonged to her late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Duchess of Sussex, who was absent from the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh, also wore simple pearl and diamond studs that had been given to her by the queen. Lady Sarah Chatto, the daughter of Princess Margaret and the queen’s niece, wore a demure string of pearls—and the queen consort has been photographed in symbolic pearl jewelry carrying out events in support of her husband, King Charles III, since the death of the queen.
After the death of Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria famously shunned color and wore black for 40 years—she accessorized with either black or colorless jewelry, and especially favored pearls. Pearls came to represent tears in the 19th century, and Queen Victoria wore long strands of them for the rest of her life.
Queen Victoria’s choice has become ingrained as a tradition, with pearls becoming the demure, respectful, historic choice for royals during a period of mourning and at funerals. Diana, Princess of Wales, chose a simple, gracious string of pearls to the funeral of Princess Grace of Monaco in 1982. The late Queen Elizabeth II, the very model of tradition, wore pearls to the funerals of Diana, Princess Margaret, and King George VI—and now, when it matters most, her example is being followed by those who knew her best. What better pearl of wisdom?
This article first appeared on Tatler.
