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Kate Middleton and Prince William recently welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to the United Kingdom. As the new Prince and Princess of Wales, it was their job to greet the world leader when he arrived at London’s Corinthia Hotel. And for the occasion, Kate opted to debut a special piece of jewelry — the $400,000 Princess of Wales pendant.
Kate Middleton debuts new Prince of Wales pendant
While welcoming President Ramaphosa, Kate wore a gorgeous brooch on her coat. According to the experts at UK retailer Steven Stone, the stunning jewel is actually a pendant that dates back to the mid-19th century when Princess Alexandra of Denmark married the future King Edward VII.
“Laced with history, the Prince of Wales Feathers Pendant is an incredibly interesting piece that dates back to 1863, when the future King Edward VII married Princess Alexandra of Denmark,” Maxwell Stone explains.
“As was tradition at the time, various organizations from around the UK presented Alexandra with wedding gifts – one society was the Ladies of North Wales, who presented her with the striking pendant that emphasized her new position’s history.”
The pendant is estimated to be worth $400K
When Alexandra died in 1925, the Queen Mother inherited the pendant. She later gifted it to Princess Diana when she got engaged to then-Prince Charles in 1981, and the late princess wore it often. Camilla, Queen Consort, also wore the piece when she married Charles, even though she never used the Princess of Wales title.
The central piece of the pendant is the Prince of Wales crest, flanked by blue sapphires. The pendant features small white diamonds, rubies, and emeralds that likely represent the Welsh flag. Surrounding the crest are 18 Edwardian-cut diamonds and 36 small round-cut emeralds. A 15-carat detachable green cabochon emerald hangs from the bottom of the pendant.
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“It’s heartwarming to see that Kate Middleton has been seen wearing the pendant as it not only serves as a nod to her new position, but it pays homage to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, who wore the pendant regularly during her marriage to the then Prince Charles,” Stone says. “Featuring a total weight of approximately 25 carats, I’d estimate the piece to be worth $400,000.”
Kate Middleton wears her first tiara as Princess of Wales
King Charles III and Camilla recently hosted their first state banquet at Buckingham Palace, and at the event, Kate wore her first tiara as the new Princess of Wales. She paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II and Diana by wearing Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot tiara.
Originally designed in 1913 for Queen Mary, the tiara was handed down to Elizabeth when she became queen. The estimated value of the Lover’s Knot tiara — which is packed with the finest diamonds and pearls — is $1,200,000 (£1,000,000).
The recent state banquet was the first time Kate wore the Lover’s Knot tiara as the Princess of Wales, but it wasn’t the first time she’d worn it for a state dinner. Queen Elizabeth loaned it to her for a state dinner at the palace back in 2018.
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