Kate Middleton firmly returned to work over the weekend after attending two consecutive events in London to commemorate Remembrance Day, an annual memorial weekend dedicated to the Commonwealth armed forces who lost their lives in World War I. The Princess of Wales, who is on the tail end of a difficult health battle, declared that she would resume public duties back in September after spending most of the year resting, recovering and undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
After tentatively resuming her responsibilities by making ad-hoc appearances at Trooping The Colour and the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, the former Duchess of Cambridge appeared as regal and radiant as ever during back-to-back public displays. Her first excursion was part of a formal evening at Royal Albert Hall alongside Prince William, King Charles III and Princess Anne.
Middleton relied on her favourite eveningwear brand for the occasion, donning a custom Catherine Walker coat dress that featured a delicately plunging neckline and double-breasted fastening. She paired the piece with a Chanel clutch, Jimmy Choo stilettos and a piece of jewellery beloved by her predecessor, Princess Diana.
Indeed, Middleton has enshrined this piece of jewellery as the preferred item in the Princess of Wales’ arsenal, irrespective of who holds the title. The item of interest is a pair of pearl and diamond droplet earrings gifted to the late Lady Spencer as a wedding present. Known as the Collingwood set, the pieces were often worn by Princess Diana for state banquets and significant events—a theme that Middleton is honourably continuing after being gifted them by her husband.
But Middleton didn’t stop dipping into her royal collection there. During her ensuing outing to the Remembrance Day service at The Cenotaph, Middleton wore a pair of earrings received by then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947 upon her marriage to Prince Phillip. This style is referred to as Bahrain earrings and features both round and baguette diamonds. It’s unclear where Middleton’s busy calendar will take her next, but based on these occurrences, we can trust the 42-year-old to arrive in style—and wearing a piece of royal history.
