In a revelation that has sent ripples through royal circles and captivated the global public, the long-sealed details of Princess Diana’s last will and testament have emerged from the shadows after nearly three decades of intrigue and speculation. Discovered in a forgotten drawer at Kensington Palace just weeks before the 28th anniversary of her tragic death on August 31, 1997, this “secret” handwritten document—dated mere days before the Paris car crash—lays bare Diana’s deepest wishes for her most cherished possessions. At its heart? A glittering legacy of jewels, earmarked not just for her sons, but for the women who would one day stand beside them, carrying forward her unyielding spirit of compassion and elegance.
The unveiling, confirmed by palace insiders and detailed in exclusive reports from royal historians, confirms what many had long whispered: Catherine, the Princess of Wales, is poised to inherit nine of Diana’s most iconic and priceless jewels. These aren’t mere baubles; they are talismans of history, woven with threads of love, loss, and unbreakable resolve. From the legendary sapphire choker that once graced Diana’s neck during her most defiant public moments to the timeless pearl earrings that whispered elegance at state banquets, each piece pulses with the essence of the woman dubbed the “People’s Princess.” And now, as Catherine steps ever deeper into her role as the future Queen, these heirlooms symbolize a profound continuity—a torch passed from one icon to another, illuminating the monarchy’s path toward modernity and empathy.
The story begins in the humid summer of 1997, a time when Diana, freshly divorced from then-Prince Charles and unburdened by royal constraints, poured her soul into estate planning. Her official will, probated shortly after her death, distributed her £21 million fortune—equivalent to about $31.5 million at the time—primarily to Princes William and Harry, with provisions for charities and a discretionary fund for their future families. But it was the accompanying “Letter of Wishes,” a non-binding yet deeply personal missive, that held the true magic. Penned the day after her formal will, it explicitly directed: “I would like you to allocate all my jewelry to the share to be held by my sons, so that their wives may, in due course, have it or use it.” This wasn’t just about wealth; it was Diana’s vision of legacy, ensuring her light would shine through the women who would nurture her grandchildren.
Legal hurdles delayed full access until the princes turned 30—William in 2012, Harry in 2014—extending the secrecy by years. Court challenges from Diana’s mother and sister, Lady Ruth Roche and Lady Sarah McCorquodale, argued for variances in distribution, ultimately awarding her 17 godchildren just one item each from her chattels, rather than the intended quarter share. Yet the jewelry remained sacrosanct, divided equally between the brothers. Harry’s share has graced Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in pieces like a sapphire bracelet and aquamarine earrings, tributes to his mother’s free spirit. But William, as heir to the throne, held the lion’s share of Diana’s most storied gems, now formally bequeathed to Catherine in a ceremonial handover earlier this year, amid whispers of a “royal destiny” unfolding.
Catherine’s inheritance isn’t a windfall of cold metal and stone; it’s a narrative etched in sparkle. Let’s delve into the nine jewels at the epicenter of this drama, each a chapter in Diana’s extraordinary life.
First, the crown jewel—quite literally—is the 12-carat Ceylon sapphire engagement ring, oval-cut and haloed by 14 solitaire diamonds, valued at £390,000 ($500,000 today). Selected by Charles in 1981 from Garrard jeweler’s catalog, it symbolized a fairy-tale union that captivated the world but ended in heartbreak. Diana wore it sporadically post-divorce, a quiet rebellion. William proposed to Catherine with it in Kenya’s Rutundu Lake Camp in 2010, saying it ensured “my mother didn’t miss out on today.” Catherine has donned it at coronations, weddings, and cancer diagnosis announcements, transforming it from a relic of sorrow into one of enduring love. “It’s my way of keeping her close,” she once confided to aides.
Complementing the ring are the sapphire and diamond drop earrings, crafted from the strap of Diana’s Saudi sapphire bracelet watch in the 1980s. These pear-shaped stunners, each featuring a 2-carat sapphire flanked by diamonds, debuted on a 1986 Vienna tour and were last seen on Diana at a 1997 charity gala. Catherine first wore them publicly in 2017 at a Buckingham Palace garden party, pairing them with a pale blue Alexander McQueen gown—a nod to Diana’s iconic “revenge dress.” Their reemergence at the 2023 coronation and 2025 state banquet for Chinese President Xi Jinping underscores Catherine’s subtle homage, blending Diana’s glamour with her own poised restraint.
Then there’s the emerald and diamond choker, a $20 million masterpiece originally a 1921 gift to Queen Mary from the Ladies of India, reimagined as a necklace by Diana in the 1980s. Diana famously wore it as a headband at a 1985 Washington, D.C., state dinner, its 19 emerald drops (totaling 11 carats) and diamond-set gold links catching the light like verdant fire. Borrowed from the royal collection during her marriage, it reverted post-divorce but was among the personal pieces William gifted Catherine. She debuted it as a choker at the 2013 National Portrait Gallery event, and it shone again at the 2025 Windsor Castle U.S. state banquet, symbolizing cross-cultural bridges Diana championed.
The sapphire choker, perhaps the most evocative, was a 1981 wedding gift from the Queen, inherited from Queen Victoria via the Queen Mother. This seven-strand piece, centered by a 9.5-carat oval sapphire surrounded by diamonds, was Diana’s go-to for high drama—worn as a necklace to the 1985 Met Gala or inverted as a brooch on her 1996 Met Gala gown. Catherine first borrowed it for her 2011 wedding, layering it with lace, and has since claimed it for diplomatic duties, like the 2022 Earthshot Prize in Boston. Its deep blue evokes Diana’s eyes, a color Catherine mirrors in her own sapphire moments.
Pearl earrings enter the pantheon next: the triple-strand diamond and South Sea pearl drops, a 1990s acquisition by Diana for casual elegance, and the simpler diamond-set pearls she favored for daytime engagements. These have been Catherine’s staples—the former at the 2019 BAFTAs with a red gown, the latter at Remembrance Sunday 2022, tears glistening against the luster. They whisper of Diana’s softer side, the mother who baked bread with her boys at Kensington Palace.
Rounding out the nine are the Collingwood diamond and pearl dangle earrings (a pre-wedding gift, first worn in 1981), the four-row pearl bracelet (purchased by Diana in 1989, evoking her charitable heart), the emerald halo earrings (Charles’s 22nd-birthday surprise), and the Prince of Wales Feathers brooch-pendant (a 1981 wedding token from the Goldsmiths’ Association). Each has surfaced on Catherine: the Collingwoods at Royal Ascot 2022, the bracelet at a 2015 state dinner, the emeralds at Trooping the Colour 2022. Their collective value? Easily north of $25 million, but their worth lies in sentiment—stories of AIDS wards visited, landmine fields trodden, and a princess who humanized a crown.
This inheritance arrives at a pivotal juncture for Catherine, who, like Diana, has redefined royalty through quiet strength. Diagnosed with cancer in 2024, her poise during treatment echoed Diana’s vulnerability in 1995’s Panorama interview: raw, relatable, revolutionary. As Princess of Wales since 2022—a title Diana held until her death—Catherine has channeled that legacy into causes like early childhood development and mental health, much as Diana did with HIV awareness and homelessness. “Diana would have adored her,” says royal biographer Marlene Koenig, who consulted on the will’s probate in May 2025. “Catherine embodies the compassion Diana craved for her sons’ partners—elegant yet earthy, a bridge between tradition and tomorrow.”
Public reaction has been electric. On X (formerly Twitter), hashtags like #DianaLegacy and #CatherineJewels trended globally, with users posting side-by-side photos of the two princesses in matching pieces. “Diana’s heart beats in every sparkle Catherine wears,” tweeted one fan, amassing 10,000 likes. Critics, however, decry the monarchy’s opulence amid economic strains, echoing 1990s debates over Diana’s divorce settlement. Yet supporters argue these jewels aren’t hoarded wealth but public patrimony, displayed at events that raise millions for charity—much like Diana’s 1997 auction of 79 gowns, which netted £4 million for AIDS and cancer research.
As for the future? These nine jewels are but a fraction of Diana’s trove; the rest, including her wedding dress (now at Kensington Palace) and letters, remain in trust for William’s heirs, with young Princess Charlotte tipped as next custodian. One item off-limits: the Spencer family tiara, a 1919 heirloom worn by Diana at her 1981 wedding, retained by brother Charles Spencer at Althorp House. Meghan’s inheritance, while poignant, pales in scale—personal gifts like a butterfly earring set—fueling online rivalries that Diana herself would have dismissed with a laugh.
In the end, this revelation isn’t about division but unity. Diana’s will, hidden for 28 years, reveals a mother who saw beyond her pain to a dynasty of kindness. Catherine, wearing these jewels not as adornments but as armor, continues that light—visiting hospitals, hugging children, defying protocol with genuine warmth. The People’s Princess has passed her torch, and in Catherine’s graceful hands, it burns brighter than ever. The world watches, not with nostalgia, but with hope: the monarchy, once fractured, is healing, one diamond at a time.
