by thecourtjeweller // Leave a Comment
On Saturday, the British royals will gather in London for Trooping the Colour, the traditional celebration of the monarch’s birthday. The Princess of Wales, who is still in treatment for continuing health issues, is not currently scheduled to make an appearance during the celebrations, but in her honor, I’ve got a look back today at some of the best royal jewels she’s worn for Trooping the Colour over the years.
The Five Pearl Brooch
Back when she was still the duch*ess of Cambridge, Kate wore a brooch for the first time at Trooping the Colour on June 14, 2014. She paired her Five Pearl Brooch with pearl earrings for the parade and fly-past that year. Really, the name should have “pearl” in quotation marks, because the piece features faux resin “pearls” sprinkled with a few crystals. This appearance at Trooping was Kate’s debut in the brooch, which she has worn on a variety of other occasions in the decade since.
The Diamond and Aquamarine Drop Earrings
Usually, earrings are the star of Kate’s jewelry ensemble at Trooping the Colour. In June 2015, she wore a blue and white ensemble for the celebrations, and she reached for a pair of blue-hued gems from her jewelry box to complete the look. These diamond and aquamarine earrings, which are reportedly set in white gold, have been part of Kate’s jewelry collection since at least 2012, when she wore them for the first time in public during the Diamond Jubilee tour of Singapore and Malaysia. The blue shade of the aquamarines gleamed beautifully as Kate rode in a carriage down the Mall during the birthday parade.
The Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings
As the years have gone by, Kate has appeared in more significant and important royal earrings for Trooping the Colour, including several pieces associated with Queen Elizabeth II. In June 2019, Kate wore the Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings with a diamond cross pendant for Trooping. The earrings were made for Elizabeth II using pearls given to her as wedding presents by the Hakim of Bahrain in 1947. Kate has been the exclusive wearer of this special pair of earrings since 2016.
Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Frame Earrings
For Trooping the Colour in June 2017, Kate wore another pair of diamond earrings loaned to her by Queen Elizabeth II. These elegant diamond frame earrings appear to have been a later-in-life addition to the late Queen’s jewelry collection, and she only wore them on a handful of occasions before loaning them to Kate in 2016 on a long-term basis. Though Kate often wears these earrings for evening gala events, they added some excellent sparkle to a daytime Trooping ensemble.
Princess Diana’s Sapphire and Diamond Cluster Earrings
When she arrived for the special Platinum Jubilee edition of Trooping the Colour in June 2022, Kate delighted us all by wearing a pair of earrings from the collection of Diana, Princess of Wales for the first time in public. The earrings feature a double cluster of cabochon sapphires and diamonds. For Trooping in 2022, Kate wore them with a sapphire and diamond pendant from another suite of similar jewels.
The Irish Guards Brooch
Kate also wore the sapphire and diamond earrings for Trooping the Colour in June 2023, but that year, she paired them with another special brooch with significant resonance. The new Princess of Wales wore the gold and emerald Irish Guards Brooch for the celebrations. The brooch belongs to the regiment and is loaned out to the royal lady most associated with the Irish Guards. For years, Kate wore the brooch on St. Patrick’s Day as the wife of the Colonel of the Irish Guards. But in December 2023, she was named Colonel of the regiment herself, and she now wears the brooch in that capacity.
The Irish Guards are the ones who are actually trooping the colour this weekend, so it’s particularly sad that Kate is unable to be a major part of the event. Will we see Kate make any appearance at all during Trooping the Colour tomorrow in London, even a small one? All signs point to no, as she’s still in the middle of cancer treatment and has not yet made a return to public engagements. One source did tell Russell Myers of theMirror that Kate is “considering making an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony following the Trooping the Colour ceremony if she is feeling well enough.” I’m not going to get my hopes up, but it certainly would be wonderful to see her there again, and I’m guessing we’ll see the Irish Guards Brooch appear with her if she pops in.
Whether we have a Princess of Wales sighting or not, I’ll be back here tomorrow with special weekend coverage of the jewels of Trooping the Colour. See you then!
