Kate Middleton and other royals to wear pearls at the Queen's funeral due to Victorian-era tradition

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published 18 September 2022

Royal protocols means Kate Middleton and other female royals will be expected to wear specific jewellery at the Queen's state funeral on Monday the 19th of September.

Eagle eyed royal fans will spot Kate Middleton and other senior female royals donning pearl jewellery at the Queen's funeral as protocol dictates a strict dress code
The tradition of adorning pearls during the mourning period has been ingrained in royal tradition since the Victorian era
In other royal news, as the Queen's grandchildren held vigil at her coffin, we explain the tradition

The public have seen a lot of royal protocol and tradition take centre stage since the Queen's death on Thursday the 8th September. From the Queen's lying-in-state to the Vigil of the Princes, the mourning period has been filled with sombre ceremony.

Royal protocol also dictates a strict dress code for the mourning period, with some traditions being more obvious than others. As well as the all-black attire members of the royal family must wear, Kate Middleton and other women in the family are expected to wear some very specific jewellery that has ties all the way back to the Victorian era.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry — (Image credit: Phil Noble - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Fashion coach, Miranda Holder, has detailed the reason why the royal women will tone down their jewellery, and opt for one specific gem that has rather poetic connotations.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, she said, "In terms of jewellery pearls are absolutely the tradition. Queen Victoria completely embraced it because she believes they look like tears, which I think is just so lovely."

Queen Victoria famously chose to only wear black after the passing of her husband Prince Albert, in 1861, and did so up until her own death almost 40 years later. The mourning Queen's stark and sombre outfits were accessorised with jewellery that tended to be black, colourless or made from pearls. The pearls were particularly significant in the Victorian age as they were considered to represent tears and purity.

Miranda told Express.co.uk there will be no "flashy" jewellery at Monday's funeral, instead, all of the women will wear some form of pearl or opt for demure jewellery pieces.

She explained, "We may see the odd brooch or something to reference Her Majesty, but there's going to be no big sparkly diamonds or anything ostentatious. It will be subtle. And we'll be seeing a lot of pearls because that is just traditional and respectful."

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The Queen's lying-in-state — (Image credit: Adrian Dennis- WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Kate Middleton has been spotted wearing pearls on a number of occasions since the Queen's passing, most notably during her and Prince William's recent trip to Sandringham House, on her first sighting since the passing of the Queen and at the Queen's coffin procession.

Camilla, the Queen Consort, has also followed tradition, wearing a four-strand pearl necklace with a fitted diamond clasp, reminiscent of one of the Queen's jewellery pieces, both when she greeted thousands of people at Buckingham Palace following the Queen’s death and at the procession of the Queen's coffin to St Giles Cathedral.

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Charlie Elizabeth Culverhouse is a news writer for Goodtoknow, specialising in family content. She began her freelance journalism career after graduating from Nottingham Trent University with an MA in Magazine Journalism, receiving an NCTJ diploma, and earning a First Class BA (Hons) in Journalism at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute. She has also worked with BBC Good Food and The Independent.