Kate Middleton may not have been with Queen Elizabeth on her 95th birthday, but she still gave a subtle nod to the monarch.
The Duchess of Cambridge wore a pair of diamond and pearl earrings, which she borrowed from the Queen, when she stepped out to the 282 Squadron Air Training Corps in East London with Prince William on Wednesday. The beautiful accessories were first worn by Queen Elizabeth in 1977 when she celebrated her silver jubilee.
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View GalleryKate and Wills’ outing on Wednesday was also a tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh, who served as Air Commander-In-Chief to the Air Cadets for 63 years until he passed his military patronage to Kate in 2015.
During their trip, the royal couple learned about how the Air Cadets are helping young people gain vital life skills. They also spoke to people who are preparing for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, a youth development program headed by Prince Philip until his passing earlier this month.
Today The Duke and Duchess visited @282ATC, which supports its @aircadets to gain skills and qualifications across a variety of different disciplines, before speaking to a number of the young people who are preparing for their @DofE Awards. pic.twitter.com/ExFTqUIQJG
— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) April 21, 2021
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who both wore black during their outing since they are still in mourning, ended their outing on a sentimental note, with a three Cheers Salute to honor Prince Philip.
The Queen’s husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, passed away on April 9 at age 99. He was laid to rest at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on Saturday.
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View GalleryDuring his funeral, Kate also wore sentimental jewelry, donning the so-called Japanese Pearl Choker that was on loan from Queen Elizabeth.
The striking piece of jewelry was once worn by Princess Diana in 1982, but it was originally fashioned for the Queen.
The four-strand necklace with a central diamond clasp was commissioned by the monarch and is made from cultured pearls presented to her by the Japanese government. According to Her Majesty’s Jewel Vault, the Queen made her first state visit to Japan in 1975 and the choker was in use by the early 1980s. Queen Elizabeth wore it on several notable occasions, before loaning it to her daughter-in-law and granddaughter-in-law.
But the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral was not the first time the Duchess of Cambridge wore the gorgeous choker. She previously wore the necklace to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s 70th anniversary dinner in 2017, also held at Windsor Castle, to celebrate their long-lasting marriage.
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