At the VE Day 80th anniversary concert at Horse Guards Parade, Kate Middleton—or Catherine, Princess of Wales—embraced a look that was quintessentially Kate: Understated, polished, timeless. Dressed in a tailored cream Self-Portrait dress with structured shoulders she finished her look with her favorite style of jewelry: pearls. Another—and very on trend—accessory for the Royal? A large velvet bow pinned neatly in her hair.
The Princess wore a statement necklace by Susan Kaplan, made up of no fewer than five strands of pearls, as well as multi-pearl earrings, which were shown off to full effect by her half-up hairstyle.
Pearls have long held a special place in royal tradition, and Kate has consistently leaned into their elegance. Earlier this year, at the Holocaust Memorial Day service, she wore Queen Elizabeth II’s Bahrain pearl drop earrings—a wedding gift to the late monarch from the Hakim of Bahrain—along with a three-strand pearl bracelet once owned by Princess Diana.
Diana wore the bracelet for some of her most iconic appearances, notably with her “Elvis” dress on the 1989 royal tour of Hong Kong with the then Prince Charles. Passed down to Prince William, the bracelet appears to have become a particularly treasured piece in Kate’s jewelry collection, worn on multiple tours and engagements.
Accessories are where the Princess really shines sartorially. Her handbags often hold personal significant and nuggets of Royal history—a recent bag buy which she wore for a public engagement came from a luxury British brand beloved by the late Queen Elizabeth II, Asprey. For sunglasses, she’s opted for the independent London, Italian-made eyewear Finlay Co.
So of course the addition of a new accessory, the aforementioned black velvet hair bow, comes with a bit of a sartorial backstory. Through the years and in her early days as a minted Royal, Catherine would sport her signature, sleek, and Sloaney ponytail. This latest look is a much more refined, and enduringly sophisticated take on what has become a contemporary trend.
Pearls, too, have continued to be a Kate Middleton accessory of choice for occasions of remembrance. She wore them to attend the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth II, at Remembrance Day services, and now for another moment of national significance.