After the death of her husband Prince Albert, the Queen famously wore black for the rest of her life, accessorizing only with black, colorless, or pearl jewelry. She wore strands of pearls, thought to represent tears, for 40 years.
The reason why pearls are a significant choice by royals as the mourning jewellery because it is considered to the symbol of grief. The tradition dates back to Queen Victoria's era. After her husband Prince Albert died in 1861, Queen Victoria ditched all colours and wore black for 40 years.
Pearls. Pearls symbolise Elizabeth's chastity and connect her to Cynthia, the Greek goddess of the Moon, who was a virgin and therefore seen as 'pure'.
In Spencer, Diana is horrified (though seemingly unsurprised) to discover her husband gave her the same pearl necklace he gave to his then-mistress, Camilla Parker-Bowles. There's no evidence to suggest this gift-giving snafu ever happened (or that she ate them at the dinner table).
During the Renaissance, given their rarity and high value, these jewels of the sea became associated with wealth and high social rank. For Queen Elizabeth I, keen to project her image as the Virgin Queen, pearls represented purity and chastity, as well as being a visual code that conveyed her extreme wealth and power.
Not Wearing Pearls on Your Wedding Day
In some cultures, wearing pearls on your wedding day is frowned upon, as they are said to represent the tears that you'll shed during your marriage.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Anne has inherited her mother's favourite piece of jewellery. A gift from her father, King George VI, the three-strand pearl necklace became an iconic element of the late monarch's signature look.
Queen Elizabeth II's triple-strand pearl necklaces are worth a lot of money. Borrowman estimates that each of the queen's pearl necklaces could be worth “over £5,000,000.” That would be the equivalent of about $5.7 million.
However, Her Majesty didn't get her ears pierced until four years after her wedding, aged 25, so was initially unable to wear them. Her Majesty is pictured above wearing them for her Coronation Day portrait. Before her ears were pierced, other earrings owned by the Queen were adapted into clip-ons.
Kate Middleton wore a pearl choker that once belonged to Her late Majesty; Meghan wore a pair of pearl and diamond drop earrings that were a gift from the Queen on the occasion of their first joint engagement together in 2018, the same year Meghan married into the family.
Under guard and still in use
You'll find the Crown Jewels under armed guard in the Jewel House at the Tower of London. These gems are a unique working collection of royal regalia and are still regularly used by the monarch for important national ceremonies, such as the State Opening of Parliament.
Pearls are traditional for royal mourning.
As royal jewelry expert Lauren Kiehna told Buzzfeed News, pearls are commonly worn during the mourning period. "In Western cultures, white gemstones like diamonds and pearls, paired with black clothing, are traditional choices for mourning," Kiehna said.
"I think they all honored her in their own personal way. Kate already had some of the Queen's jewels on loan, so she was able to wear them in that way," says Holt. On the funeral day itself, Kate opted for a trio of pearls, all pieces from the Queen's priceless collection.
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.
The belief that July is an unlucky month for weddings is a superstition that has endured for generations. It's origins can be traced to several old, anonymous rhymes that warn couples married in July of everything from bitter-sweet memories to laboring for daily bread!
This means that people of Taurus, Gemini, Virgo, Capricorn and Aquarius ascendant should not wear pearls. If such people wear pearls then their mind gets distracted and upheaval starts in life. Those people whose moon is placed in the 12th or 10th house in their horoscope are also not advised to wear pearls.
Additionally, there is a superstition that pearls should not be given as gifts because they will bring the wearer great sadness and bad luck. To counter this, the recipient of the pearls should give the person gifting them the pearls a penny or small amount of money to 'purchase' the pearls from them.
Kate Middleton Attends Queen Elizabeth II's Funeral In Necklace Worn By Queen and Princess Diana | Entertainment Tonight.
Embed from Getty Images. The last time the choker was publicly seen was when Diana, Princess of Wales attended the Met Gala in New York in December 1996. It hasn't been seen or exhibited since, and now belongs to Prince William and Prince Harry.
Kate Middleton wore pearl necklace that belonged to Queen Elizabeth II to funeral in sentimental tribute. Kate Middleton was among the crowds at Westminster Abbey mourning Queen Elizabeth II at the state funeral on Monday (19 September).
They said: "The third ring she wears is an eternity ring. Eternity rings are often used to mark special milestones in a relationship - in this case, it was a gift from her husband to mark the birth of their first child, Prince George.
Instead, the Duchess has actually had her scar since her childhood. "The scar is related to a childhood operation", a palace spokesperson told E! News back in 2011. It is not known what the procedure was actually for, but it does not seem to be related to anything that the royal is still dealing with. Well that's that.
She then begins to eat the pearls, crunching them painfully with her teeth and then fleeing the table in agony. This scene is entirely fictional and is meant to symbolize what is happening in Diana's life.
It's one of the most intriguing of jewelry history questions: Where Is It Now? Henry VIII, circe 1540 when he was about 50 years old (and four years after Anne Boleyn was executed.) The simple answer: no one really knows. But that has never stopped a jewelry sleuth.
Following Queen Elizabeth II's death at the age of 96, the monarch's priceless jewels will likely be given to members of the royal family, including Queen Consort Camilla and Kate Middleton.