Royal Jewels from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s Wedding (2011)

Ten years ago today, the eyes of the world were on Westminster Abbey, where Prince William of Wales married his longtime girlfriend, Kate Middleton. The new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were cheered by thousands gathered in the streets of London and millions more watching on television from home. Today, I’ve got a look back at some of the jewels worn for the magnificent wedding ceremony.

Kate Middleton arrived at Westminster Abbey wearing an Alexander McQueen gown and two pieces of significant jewelry: a tiara and a pair of earrings. 

The tiara was the Cartier Halo Tiara, which royal watchers had until that morning called the “scroll” tiara. The sparkler was a nod to the Queen Mum, after whom Kate has carefully patterned her royal role in the years since.

Made by Cartier, the tiara was a gift from King George VI to his wife, Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), in 1936. The Queen Mum gave the tiara to her elder daughter, the future Queen Elizabeth II, on her eighteenth birthday in 1944. Elizabeth later loaned it to her sister, Princess Margaret, and to her daughter, Princess Anne. 

The tiara had gone unworn in public for years before it made a surprise appearance on April 29, 2011. (It’s been displayed during the decade since, but it hasn’t been worn again since the wedding day.)

If the tiara was Kate’s “something borrowed,” her wedding earrings, which were a gift from her parents, certainly counted as her “something new.” Designed by Robinson Pelham to echo the scrolling diamonds of the Cartier tiara, the earrings also featured a pendant with a small diamond acorn in its center. The acorn may seem like a strange motif for a bride to wear, but this symbol was a tribute to her own family.

A coat of arms was granted to the Middletons in the weeks before the wedding, and it featured three acorns, one for each of their three children. The earrings, then, marry design elements from both the Windsors and the Middletons in one small, elegant diamond package. (Kate also added another new piece of jewelry to her collection on the day: a slim wedding band made out of Welsh gold.)

For the Queen, the day must have been joyful not only because it represented the happiness of her grandson but also because it helped to ensure the continuation of her monarchy. She wore a large diamond brooch that represented the generations of the family that had come before. 

Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Brooch was inherited by the Queen from her grandmother in 1953. Mary bought the diamond brooch from Garrard in 1932. And this wasn’t the only major royal wedding to which Elizabeth wore the brooch; she also affixed it to her bright blue gown at Princess Margaret’s wedding in 1960.

The bride’s mother, Carole Middleton—one of the most elegantly dressed women at the wedding, if you ask me—added a delicate necklace with a sparkling pendant and matching earrings to her outfit.

Her ensemble for the day was a Catherine Walker design.

The Duchess of Cornwall wore one of the most voluminous hats to the wedding, but she kept her jewelry simple. 

The most dazzling pieces she wore were the pair of diamond brooches in the shape of four-leaf clovers. She also wore a single strand of pearls and pearl drop earrings.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, who (like many of the royal guests) is both a member of the extended family and the head of another royal house, wore one of her most sentimental pieces of jewelry on the day: the Diamond Daisy Brooch, which was given to her by her mother, the late Queen Ingrid. 

The brooch is also a remembrance of Margrethe’s British-born grandmother, Princess Margaret of Connaught. Head over here for more on the history of the piece!

Queen Mathilde of the Belgians, then the Duchess of Brabant, wore a deep turquoise satin outfit and accessorized it with diamond jewelry. 

Her necklace in particular is of interest: it’s her laurel wreath tiara, which was one of her wedding gifts, taken off its frame. She paired the necklace with diamond and pearl earrings, a diamond bracelet, and a diamond rose brooch.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, then still a princess, also went for major bling. Along with a diamond necklace and earrings, she wore a number of the family’s diamond stars attached to her hat. 

The choice of jewels was a small tribute to Maxima’s own royal wedding, where she wore diamond stars on her tiara. The earrings she wore for the Cambridge wedding were made with diamonds taken from Queen Emma’s Art Deco Corsage.

The Spanish royals were three strong at the Abbey: Queen Sofia and the Prince and Princess of Asturias (who are now King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia). 

Queen Sofia wore a coordinated set of beaded jewelry that picked up the purple hues of her outfit.

As usual, Letizia’s jewels were on the minimalist side: a ring or two on her right hand and her Chanel diamond star stud earrings.

The Norwegian royals are some of the closest foreign cousins of the Windsors, with both families descending from King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. 

On the day, Queen Sonja of Norway wore an interesting set of jewelry made from small pearls and gold.

Princess Ameerah of Saudi Arabia (who has since divorced her royal husband) added large diamond stud earrings to her pink lace dress and coordinating hat.

Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco wore gold and diamond jewelry that perfectly complimented her beautifully embroidered kaftan.

Queen Anne-Marie of Greece wore pearls, including a single-stranded necklace and pearl drop earrings with modern gold and emerald studs.

Princess Marie-Chantal’s hat was the star of the show, but she accented it with sparkling earrings. She attended the wedding with her husband, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, and their son, Constantine Alexios, who is a godson of Prince William.

Prince Seeiso and Princess Mabereng of Lesotho were also in attendance. She wore a lovely suite of matching jewels made of gold set with green stones—perhaps peridot?

Representing Sweden, Crown Princess Victoria brought along pieces of jewelry from the Bernadotte family vaults. Her earrings are the diamond drops repurposed from Queen Josefina’s Diamond Stomacher, and her brooch is the diamond and pearl floral brooch from the family collection. She also added a necklace with a pearl pendant.

Pearls were also the jewel of choice for Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg. She wore a pair of antique pearl drop earrings, a single-stranded pearl necklace, and a diamond and sapphire ring.

Charlene Wittstock, who would become Princess Charlene of Monaco a few months after this wedding, also chose pearls for the occasion.

As always, Charlene’s style reflects elegance with a modern edge. Rather than reaching for classic diamond and pearl cluster earrings, Charlene wore a new pair with an interesting design twist.

The Kents also pulled out the pearls from their jewelry boxes. It’s no surprise that so many royal ladies went in that direction; pearls are especially appropriate for a daytime wedding. The Duchess of Kent wore pearl earrings, a pearl bracelet, and a clover pendant studded with pearls.

Her daughter, Lady Helen Taylor, wore a pair of delicate gold earrings.

Princess Michael of Kent wore pearl earrings and a double-stranded pearl necklace.

Her daughter-in-law, Lady Frederick Windsor (Sophie Winkleman), wore classic diamond and pearl drop earrings, too.

Indeed, nearly every member of the extended British royal family was present for the wedding, most of them wearing subtle, elegant jewels. Pearls, again, were particularly popular.

Here, you’ll spot Lady Nicholas Windsor, Princess Michael of Kent, and Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy. Alexandra wore her lovely pearl choker necklace with the geometric diamond and pearl clasp, as well as a diamond brooch.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (partially hidden here) attended as well. Birgitte wore pearls with a pair of circle brooches. (You can see her wearing the same brooches in our post on the funeral of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg.)

The Earl and Countess of Ulster, Lady Davina and Gary Lewis, and Lady Rose and George Gilman were present, too.

Lady Sarah Chatto, Princess Margaret’s daughter, wore lovely jewels inherited from her mother. She wore her diamond and pearl drop earrings, which she also wore on her own wedding day, and her diamond and pearl necklace with its pearl pendant. You’ll also catch a glimpse here of Viscountess Linley in pearls with a floral brooch, and Lady Gabriella Windsor wearing a simple pendant necklace.

The Princess Royal got the pearl memo, too. She wore a triple strand of pearls with her Andrew Grima pearl, diamond, and gold earrings, as well as her diamond, pearl, and gold floral brooch.

Zara Phillips, who was married a few months after this wedding, wore simple pearl studs with her eye-catching hat.

Autumn Kelly Phillips also wore pearl earrings and a necklace with a pearl pendant.

The Countess of Wessex’s primary accessory was her pave-set diamond earrings.

Princess Eugenie of York chose a pair of earrings with pendant drops, although really, her outfit needed no extra accessories at all. 

(Same with her big sister’s famous ensemble, of course.)