The Swan Lake necklace was named after Princess Diana, who wore it to the ballet at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1997 shortly before her tragic death, and it became the most valuable piece in her extensive jewellery collection.
Eleven-strand pearl choker
Made out of "900 pearls paired with columns of diamonds and rubies", this eleven-strand choker was one of Diana's favourite pieces, which she often wore at theatre and film premiers.
Perhaps the most famous piece of jewelry Kate inherited from Princess Diana is this sapphire engagement ring. The ring was created by British jeweler Garrard and chosen by Prince Charles for his proposal to Diana in 1981.
After the princess' death, most of her personal jewelry was inherited by her two sons Princes William and Harry, with pieces loaned to her during her lifetime being returned to Queen Elizabeth II, where they are most likely to have been inherited by King Charles in 2022.
The Duchess of Sussex inherited some of her late mother-in-law's most stunning pieces. Before her tragic death, Princess Diana made it clear that she wanted her stunning collection of jewelry to go to her sons' future wives.
After Diana's tragic death at the age of 36 in a 1997 Paris car crash, her jewelry was inherited by her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. The glittering pieces collected by Diana throughout her married life held enormous sentimental value to both the princess and the princes.
It is said Meghan Markle now owns the impressive aquamarine ring, which adds to her collection of other jewellery gifted to her by Harry from Princess Diana's royal jewellery collection.
The crown jeweler created the necklace (and a matching set of earrings, which weren't finished at the time) based on designs by Princess Diana herself. After she wore the necklace, it was returned to Garrard so they could finish the earrings—but unfortunately, they were not completed before her tragic death.
How much did Kate Middleton inherit from Queen Elizabeth II? Radar Online reported in September 2022 that was Kate was expected to inherit $110 million in jewelry from the Queen after her death. The collection includes 300 personal pieces of jewelry that belonged just to the Queen and not the Crown.
'” According to Burrell, Harry wanted the ring because it represented a fond memory from his childhood. After Harry received the iconic jewel, Burrell remembers that William was happy for his brother because he's “not materialistic, so he didn't look for the flashiest jewel in mummy's collection."
Camilla Parker-Bowles went to the races wearing a brooch given to her by her husband - which he had previously given to Diana, Princess of Wales. The diamond Prince of Wales feathers brooch was modified by Diana to be worn as a necklace. Find this Pin and more on Queen Camilla by Maureen Hart.
Following Diana's death in August 1997, the sapphire ring was inherited by her son Prince Harry, who eventually offered it to his older brother Prince William before he proposed to Kate Middleton with it in 2010.
The necklace was part of a set which included a tiara, brooch and earrings. The stunning piece was passed down to the Queen Mother, who wore it often until her 2002 death. It was later lent to Princess Kate from Queen Elizabeth.
Princess Diana was buried in a long black dress designed by Lay Di's friend and designer Catherine Walker.
The ring reportedly was found in the wreckage of the Mercedes and given to Diana's sisters when they came to Paris to accompany her body back to England.
If tradition prevails, most of the Queen's personal jewels will be passed on to King Charles III and Queen Camilla. It is speculated that Catherine, Princess of Wales will also receive some of the jewels as she will eventually be Queen.
As for why the Queen left Meghan out of her inheritance, Radar Online's source speculated that it could be due to either “practicality” or Harry and Meghan's drama with the British royal family in the years leading up to the Queen's death.
Princess Charlotte has been refered as "the richest kid in the world" due to her status as a member of the British royal family, which is one of the wealthiest and most prominent royal families in the world.
William and Harry received the bulk of Princess Diana's £13m fortune when their mother died in 1997. Harry told Oprah Winfrey this inheritance funded the US move: "I've got what my mum left me. Without that, we wouldn't have been able to do this."
The late princess continued to wear her engagement ring even after she and Prince Charles divorced in 1996. After her death, Prince William inherited the sapphire sparkler, eventually using it to propose to Kate Middleton in 2010.
Based on the jewellery expert's estimates, Diana's legacy and the size of the stone could mean the necklace is worth a nine-figure sum. Mr Stone added: "With that in mind it could be worth up to £100,000,000 if sold today. "This is probably one of the most expensive jewels from the entire royal collection."
The choker, originally given to Queen Mary and then inherited by Queen Elizabeth II, was gifted to Princess Diana after her wedding to Prince Charles. It was eventually returned to Queen Elizabeth upon the princess's death in 1997.
It Was Picked from a Catalog
However, Prince Charles did not have a ring for Princess Diana at the time of proposal. So, she got to choose her own ring, and she decided to pick from a catalog. This stirred some controversy as it wasn't an heirloom or customized piece and wasn't exclusive to the royal family.
She famously wore the emerald ring for a birthday appearance at the Tate Gallery in July 1997. She also often wore no rings at all during that final year of her life. What is this? More than two decades later, the aquamarine ring reappeared on Prince Harry's wife, Meghan Markle.
Meghan's yellow gold engagement ring band, which Harry said he had chosen because it was her favorite, had been replaced with a thin micro-pavé band.