Kate Middleton Has Worn At Least $97 Million Worth of Queen Elizabeth’s Jewelry

When we think of Kate Middleton inheriting another royal’s jewelry, the first person to come to mind is likely her late mother-in-law Princess Diana. After all, the current Princess of Wales not only shares a title with Diana (who, before Kate, was the most famous Princess of Wales of all time) but also a sapphire and diamond engagement ring that Diana wore during her marriage to the former Prince Charles and that Kate now wears after getting engaged to Prince William in 2010.

But Kate also wears a significant amount of jewelry from the late Queen Elizabeth, who would have turned 99 years old on April 21 (she died on September 8, 2022 at the age of 96). Even after her death, the Princess of Wales pays homage to the late Queen by wearing her pieces—nearly $97 million worth at that (which translates to £72,957,000).

According to Crisscut, the magazine of U.K. jeweler Steven Stone, Kate’s decision to continually wear Her late Majesty’s jewelry showcases “their bond and mutual respect.”

The most valuable piece from the collection is the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace, which retails for roughly $86 million (£65 million). This piece was a wedding gift to the former Princess Elizabeth when she married Prince Philip on November 20, 1947, and it features over 50 diamonds in a floral design, Crisscut reported. The stunning necklace is “one of the most treasured pieces in the British royal jewelry collection,” and was created by Cartier in 1935, 12 years before the future queen married. “Thirteen emerald- and pear-shaped diamonds are seamlessly linked to a chain adorned with 38 brilliant-cut diamonds, making this necklace truly one of a kind,” according to the outlet. Kate wore the piece to a black-tie reception at the National Portrait Gallery in 2014, personally loaned to her by the Queen and a perfect complement to her midnight blue Jenny Packham gown. She wore it again to the Diplomatic Corps Reception in 2019 alongside a velvet Alexander McQueen dress and the Queen Mary Lover’s Knot tiara (a favorite of Princess Diana’s, as well).

“That’s not the only highly valuable necklace that the Princess of Wales has worn that belonged to Queen Elizabeth II either,” Maxwell Stone said, adding that “the George VI Festoon Necklace carries a value of £2.4 million”—which translates to over $3.1 million.

The Princess of Wales also often honors Queen Elizabeth through her pearl jewelry, wearing the late Queen’s Japanese Pearl Choker and Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings frequently. The combined value of these two pieces is nearly $40,000 (£30,000), and Kate wore the pieces to the funerals of both Prince Philip in April 2021 and Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, “symbolizing the monarch’s lifelong love of pearls,” according to Crisscut.

Queen Elizabeth, a known lover of brooches, has passed the affinity down to her granddaughter-in-law, with notable brooches including the Duchess of Cambridge Brooch (Kate’s former title, which she held from 2011 to 2022), which is worth $106,000 (£80,000). This brooch was worn by Queen Elizabeth in portraits marking her 50th birthday in 1976, and Kate wore the piece in her 2022 official portrait.

Kate’s other brooches borrowed from the late Queen are numerous and include the Diamond and Pearl Oak Leaf Brooch, the Maple Leaf Brooch, the New Zealand Fern Brooch, and the Royal Family Order Brooch.

Other pieces of note that Crisscut pointed to are the Emerald Tassel Suite, with a value of $1.3 million and featuring earrings, a bracelet, “and a show-stopping necklace,” the outlet reported. The earrings “are truly exquisite,” it continued, adding that it featured “pear-shaped green emeralds set in rich yellow gold, the elegant knot-design drop earrings are finished with sparkling round brilliant-cut diamonds. The bracelet is equally magnificent—lavishly adorned with white diamonds set in yellow gold, and what can only be assumed are the finest quality emeralds, given their provenance from the Royal Collection.”

In June 2023, Kate wore the late Queen’s Greville Chandelier Earrings—valued at $2.1 million—to the royal wedding in Jordan alongside Prince William; these earrings were a wedding gift to Princess Elizabeth from her parents.

And speaking of weddings, Kate’s wedding day tiara, the Cartier Halo Tiara—worn almost 14 years ago to the day on April 29, 2011—is another example of high-value jewelry on loan from Queen Elizabeth. The tiara has “since become one of the most iconic royal wedding tiaras of all time,” and is valued at $1.3 million and adorned with 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baguette-cut diamonds. Crisscut reported that Queen Elizabeth only wore the Cartier Halo Tiara once—though never in public. Kate’s wedding day is the only time she’s ever worn the tiara in public, as well, though Princess Margaret—Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister—wore it often throughout her royal life, as did Princess Anne, the Queen’s only daughter.