I got it wrong when I covered the Princess of Wales’s appearance for Holocaust Remembrance Day. I correctly ID’d Kate’s earrings, which are the Royal Collection’s “Bahrain earrings,” one of QEII’s favorite pairs. But I thought Kate was also wearing QEII’s five-strand pearl necklace. As it turns out, not so much – Kate apparently purchased this pearl necklace from a Jewish-owned vintage jeweler. As in, Kate and her people planned ahead and specifically chose a piece of jewelry with a Jewish connection for Holocaust Remembrance Day?
Kate Middleton wore a meaningful selection of jewelry to the Holocaust Memorial Day service in London, where she joined Prince William to honor the solemn occasion. On Jan. 27, internationally observed as Holocaust Memorial Day, the Princess of Wales, 43, attended a ceremony commemorating the day and marking the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The event also marked her first public appearance since revealing on Jan. 14 that she is in remission from cancer — a poignant moment made even more significant by her thoughtful sartorial choices.
During the service, Prince William, 42, and Princess Kate met with Holocaust survivors and participated in a moving tribute. Dressed in an elegant all-black ensemble, the princess subtly conveyed her support through her jewelry. She wore Queen Elizabeth’s Bahrain Pearl Drop Earrings, Princess Diana’s tri-strand pearl bracelet and a new five-strand pearl necklace from luxury vintage jeweler Susan Caplan.
While the earrings and bracelet are cherished pieces from Kate’s royal collection, the necklace — a creation by the Jewish-owned brand — was a debut. Susan Caplan expressed gratitude for the princess’ choice, which carried both symbolic and cultural significance on such a meaningful day.
“Today marks 80 years since the Holocaust, and as a Jewish owned brand we are honored that the Princess of Wales chose to wear our necklace for today’s memorial to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day,” the Susan Caplan team wrote on Instagram on Jan. 27, posting pictures of Princess Kate at the event.
I’m actually slightly impressed that Kate and her team thought this out – the bar is in hell, and we’re supposed to be like “wow, she did that one very minor thing of buying jewelry,” but still, she put some thought into it. A piece of jewelry with a Jewish connection, earrings from QEII and a bracelet worn by Diana. Of course, since we’re talking about Kate, she also grabbed her Chanel purse for the appearance, which kind of dulls the significance of the necklace. It would be like showing up to the same event in head-to-toe Hugo Boss.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
