The Surprising Detail About Princess Diana’s Earrings You Probably Missed at Kate Middleton’s Latest Appearance

The Princess of Wales wore her late-mother-in-law’s pearl drops for Commonwealth Day 2025.

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Princess Kate has honored the mother-in-law she never met, Princess Diana, in a number of ways through the years. Whether it’s channeling the late princess in a very similar mint green blazer or wearing Diana’s iconic sapphire engagement ring, Kate has paid numerous fashion tributes to the People’s Princess. On March 10, the Princess of Wales wore Diana’s beloved Collingwood Pearl Earrings—a pair Kate has worn to several royal events—to the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. However, a close-up photo of the royal’s left ear reveals a worrying detail.

The large pearl drop earrings feature diamond caps and hang from two diamond studs, but zooming in on a picture from Commonwealth Day, it’s clear that one of the stones above the pearl drop is missing. Whether it fell out en route to the ceremony or the Princess of Wales was aware that the stone was missing is anyone’s guess, but it seems the historic jewels will be in need of a swift repair.

According to The Court Jeweller, the pearl style was given to Diana by the Collingwood jewelry brand and she first wore the earrings to a special dinner just ahead of her 1981 royal wedding. Princess Diana went on to wear the pearl drops many times over the years, often pairing them with her go-to Lover’s Knot Tiara.

One of the diamonds is missing from the historic pearl earrings.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales wore head-to-toe red for the ceremony on March 10.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Kate matched the earrings with Queen Elizabeth’s pearl choker.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Princess Kate first wore the Collingwood Pearl Drops to a state banquet in 2017, when she paired the earrings with Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara. Since then, she’s gone on to wear the earrings to several white-tie events with the aforementioned tiara, and also showed off the pearls at Garter Day 2019 and in her stunning 40th birthday portraits.

As for the rest of Princess Kate’s Commonwealth Day jewels, she paired Diana’s earrings with Queen Elizabeth’s Japanese Pearl Choker, a piece that Kate wore to both the late Queen’s funeral and to Prince Philip’s. The Princess of Wales went with a red theme for the rest of her look, choosing to repeat a scarlet-hued Catherine Walker coat dress with a red pillbox hat.

Belpearl 18k White Gold South Sea Pearl Earrings With Diamonds

$2,900 at Neiman Marcus

Fantasia by De Serio Capped Pearly Drop Earrings

$675 at Neiman Marcus