Kate Middleton paid tribute to her late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II at a state reception. The newly-minted Princess of Wales, 40, wore one of the late monarch’s pearl necklaces as she met the governor generals from Commonwealth countries, who serve as the Queen’s representatives in places such as Australia and Canada. She teamed the recognizable triple necklace with a pair of pearl earrings, which were also worn by the Queen at the event, held at Buckingham Palace on Saturday, September 17.
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Kate Middleton wears Queen Elizabeth’s three-strand pearl necklace at a reception on Saturday (September 17). (Stephan Russo/WPA Pool/Shutterstock)
The necklace was regularly worn by Her Majesty and was known to be one of her most popular pieces. “She was not at all interested in material things. She wore the same pearl necklace every day,” the Queen’s former assistant private secretary Sam Cohen told People of the piece. Kate has been paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth, who has passed away aged 96, all week. On Wednesday, the Duchess of Cambridge wore the Queen’s diamond and pearl brooch, and on Friday she rocked a pair of pearl earrings that appear to be the Queen’s silver jubilee pearls. Queen Elizabeth is seen in the same triple strand pearl necklace. (Kirsty O’Connor/WPA Pool/Shutterstock) In particular, pearls are heavily associated with mourning and the royal family thanks to Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years from 1837 to 1901. Victoria wore pearls and black clothing exclusively after the death of her beloved husband, Prince Albert died in 1861. After the deaths of her father King George VI, her sister Princess Margaret and former daughter-in-law Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth wore pearls during a period of mourning. Articles trending now
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“On Thursday, the world lost an extraordinary leader whose commitment to country, kingdoms and the Commonwealth was absolute. So much will be said in the coming days about the meaning of her historic reign,” William wrote in the statement shared on Twitter and Instagram on September 10. Last week, Kate’s husband Prince William released a statement paying tribute to his grandmother who died on September 8. “I, however, lost a grandmother. And while I will mourn her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I had the benefit of the Queen’s wisdom and confirmation in my fifth decade,” he wrote via Twitter and Instagram. He acknowledged the “memories” Kate and his own children had with the Queen. Related link “He was by my side in my happiest moments. And she was by my side during the saddest days of my life,” William also said in the touching tribute. “I knew this day would come, but it will be a while before the reality of life without Grandma really feels real.”
