How the Princess of Wales sends hidden messages – through her glittering selection of jewellery

They say a picture is worth a thousand words – and through her glittering jewellery selection, the Princess of Wales sends hidden but heartfelt messages. 

Whether it’s a tribute to her family, a gesture of good fortune, or a symbol of emotional strength, every piece Kate wears is steeped in sentiment.

From the earrings she chose to meet a young cancer patient recently to her beloved necklaces featuring her children’s initials, Kate has turned her accessories into powerful symbols of love and hope.

The Garrard sapphire engagement ring previously worn by Princess Diana is among her most treasured pieces. So too are the simple gold chains decorated with the initials of her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. 

Kate’s love for meaningful jewellery also extends to the gemstones she chooses to wear. Whether it is the calming and serene aquamarine which is traditionally thought to bring a sense of peace to its wearer, or the four-leaf clover symbolising good luck, hope and faith on her Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra necklace, the pieces are often worn during pivotal moments in her royal life.

Earrings with a celestial power 

The Princess of Wales wore a pair of her favourite gold drop earrings as she made a surprise appearance to meet a young cancer sufferer, photographer Liz Hatton, at Windsor Castle. 

The gold Cassandra Goad ‘Temple of Heaven’ drop earrings worn by The Princess of Wales when she met young photographer Liz Hatton at Windsor Castle last week

The glittering gold Cassandra Goad ‘Temple of Heaven’ drop earrings are among the oldest in her collection and were first seen in 2010. The earrings have a highly poignant meaning as they are inspired in design by the Emperor of China who was regarded as the son of Heaven, responsible for the celestial power of success or failure for his government.

Emotive Earrings 

Kate paid tribute to a teenage girl by wearing the Issy Star earrings, which were created as a tribute to Issy Phipps who took her own life in April 2023 and ‘is now a beautiful star’.

Just weeks after Issy Phipps’ suicide, her mum Sarah Renton shared a hug with Kate and gifted the Princess some earrings in her daughter’s memory 

Kate honoured the pledge to wear them when she was in Birmingham later that year to mark World Mental Health Day

The Issy Star earrings were created as a tribute to Issy, who ‘is now a beautiful star’, and some of the money raised from their sales goes towards mental health charity Brave Mind

Since ancient times, stars have represented the idea of for ever, freedom and hope, making them the perfect symbol for the young life that was lost but the hope that was borne out of that tragedy. 

Just weeks after her death, the Princess visited Issy’s old rugby club in Maidenhead for a charity appeal and Issy’s mother, Sarah Renton, gifted her the star hoop earrings in memory of her late daughter. 

Kate insisted she would wear the jewellery at a later date in Issy’s memory, and she honoured that pledge at a public engagement in Birmingham to mark World Mental Health Day in October 2023

Calming gemstones 

Complementing her pastel mint green monochromatic ensemble at the 2022 Buckingham Palace Garen Party, Kate wore aquamarine earrings from Carousel Jewels. 

The Princess of Wales wore these aquamarine earrings, associated with protecting sailors and guaranteeing a safe voyage, at Buckingham Palace in 2022

Spiritually, aquamarine is associated with protecting sailors and guaranteeing a safe voyage. The serene blue-green colour of aquamarine is also said to cool the temper, allowing the wearer to remain calm and level-headed. 

Princess Kate wore the earrings to mark a sign of change as she took on more engagements on behalf of the Queen while making the transition into a more senior position.

Family heirloom 

All engagement rings are special, but when the Prince of Wales famously proposed to Kate with his late mother’s diamond and sapphire engagement ring, it was already steeped in history. 

The engagement ring worn by Kate was picked out by Princess Diana 

The iconic engagement ring is a 12ct oval Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 round diamonds set in white gold and was picked out from Garrard by Diana ahead of her marriage to the then Prince Charles in 1981. It also reminded Charles of his mother’s sapphire and diamond brooch, which had originally been a gift to Queen Victoria from Prince Albert.

Prince Charles also thought the ring matched Diana’s blue eyes.

Keeping her children close 

Kate paid a sweet tribute to her children during a trip to Scotland in 2021 with a personalised charm necklace bearing their initials. 

The Princess’s children’s initials were on a necklace designed by Daniella Draper when she made a trip to Scotland with Prince William in 2021

The delicate chain by British jewellery designer Daniella Draper features the letters G, C and L, representing her three children George, Charlotte and Louis who did not join their parents on the tour. 

The necklace is one of several Kate has in her collection which pay homage to her children, helping her keep them close to her heart, and she has also been spotted in another of Daniella Draper’s designs which is engraved with their initials and a trio of stars.

Timeless pearls 

Kate has regularly paid homage to the late Queen through her accessories, so it’s no surprise that on the one-year anniversary of Her Majesty’s passing, the royal once again turned to a sentimental piece of heirloom jewellery. 

For the one-year anniversary of the late Queen’s death Kate attended a private memorial service wearing the Queen’s Silver Jubilee diamond and pearl earrings

For the private memorial service at St David’s Cathedral in September 2023, she opted for the late Queen’s Silver Jubilee diamond and pearl earrings, which the Princess had also worn several times in the week following the monarch’s death, including while greeting well-wishers in Sandringham.

Lucky Symbols 

To attend the BAFTAs in February 2020 Kate wore a suite of Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery. 

The Princess wore the Van Cleef & Arpels necklace and earrings to the Baftas in 2020. The four-leaf clover motif is a symbol of luck

In selecting mother of pearl and yellow gold earrings and a matching necklace from the Alhambra collection, Kate was following something of a time-honoured royal tradition, as Princess Grace of Monaco had been a fan. The four-leaf clover motif is a symbol of luck.

Queen Camilla’s gift 

Back in 2011, Queen Camilla gifted her daughter-in-law Kate a personalised gold bracelet which Kate was seen wearing at Wimbledon that year.

Catherine’s charm bracelet (seen here while she was watching Wimbledon with William in 2011) was a wedding gift from Camilla – on one side is the letter C for Catherine with a coronet and the other is a C for Camilla with a crown

The bracelet was both a wedding gift and a welcome gift into the Royal Family. The chain-link bracelet featured one single charm with engravings on either side: on one side is the letter C for Catherine with a coronet and on the other is a C for Camilla with a crown.

Personalised Family Tribute 

When visiting families and organisations in Battersea Park to discuss parent wellbeing in 2020, Kate wore a gifted necklace from All the Falling Stars.

Princess Kate received this gifted necklace from All the Falling Stars when she visited Ireland, It consists of three gold discs each engraved with the initials of each of her children

Princess Kate had received the gift when she was visiting Galway in Ireland earlier in the year, and following her appearance the independent brand received more than 500 orders from around the world. 

The necklace consists of three gold discs, each engraved with the first initial of her three children.