ROYAL SECRETS: The Sapphire Brooch Diana Wore on Her Honeymoon — And Why It Was Never Seen Again Until Kate and Meghan FURIOUS

ROYAL SECRETS: The Sapphire Brooch Diana Wore on Her Honeymoon – Its Disappearance and the Tensions It Sparked Between Kate and Meghan

Among the glittering jewels of Princess Diana’s collection, few pieces carry as much intrigue as the large sapphire and diamond brooch gifted to her by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother as a wedding present in 1981. Worn by Diana during her honeymoon with then-Prince Charles, the brooch became iconic when she transformed it into the clasp of a seven-strand pearl choker, a piece she cherished and wore memorably throughout her royal life. After her tragic death in 1997, the brooch—and its choker form—seemingly vanished from public view, fueling speculation about its whereabouts. Its recent re-emergence, tied to both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, has reportedly sparked tensions between the two, revealing a complex web of royal legacy, inheritance, and personal sentiment.

The Sapphire Brooch: A Royal Wedding Gift

Kate Middleton Wears Princess Diana's Sapphire Earrings

The sapphire brooch, a large oval sapphire surrounded by diamonds, was a wedding gift from the Queen Mother to Diana upon her marriage to Charles in July 1981. Presented as a token of welcome into the royal family, the brooch was a significant piece, with its deep blue sapphire echoing the stone in Diana’s famous engagement ring, also a 12-carat Ceylon sapphire from Garrard. The brooch’s design was inspired by a historic sapphire and diamond cluster brooch gifted by Prince Albert to Queen Victoria in 1840, a piece Victoria wore as her “something blue” on her wedding day.

Diana first wore the brooch as a pendant during her honeymoon in August 1981, a two-week cruise aboard the royal yacht Britannia, followed by a stay at Balmoral. Paired with a floral dress, the brooch sparkled as she and Charles greeted well-wishers, though private moments from the honeymoon hinted at early strains in their marriage, including the discovery of Charles’ cufflinks engraved with Camilla’s initials. Diana soon had the brooch converted into the clasp for a seven-strand pearl choker, a bold reimagining that became one of her signature pieces. She wore the choker to iconic events, including a 1985 White House dinner where she danced with John Travolta and in 1994 with her “revenge dress” on the night Charles publicly admitted to his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.

The Brooch’s Disappearance

After Diana’s divorce from Charles in 1996, she retained the sapphire and pearl choker, one of the few major jewels from her marriage that she kept, as it was a personal gift from the Queen Mother rather than a loan from the royal collection. She last wore it publicly at the 1996 Met Gala in New York, a striking appearance in a navy Dior slip dress. Following her death in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997, the choker—and its original brooch form—disappeared from public view.

Speculation about the brooch’s fate abounded. Some believed it was returned to the Queen Mother’s collection upon Diana’s death, as it was a family heirloom, and later passed to Queen Elizabeth II when the Queen Mother died in 2002. Others suggested it was held in trust for Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, per her “letter of wishes,” which stated her desire for her jewelry to be allocated to her sons for their future wives. The lack of clarity about its whereabouts fueled online discussions, with royal enthusiasts on platforms like Reddit noting its absence and theorizing it was too large for smaller royals like the Queen Mother to wear, making Diana’s statuesque frame ideal for its grandeur.

The Re-Emergence and Reported Tensions

Diana's sensational sapphires (that Kate adores) | Daily Mail Online

The sapphire brooch’s reappearance in 2025, tied to both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle, has reportedly caused friction, rooted in the complex division of Diana’s jewelry and the emotional weight of her legacy. According to sources close to the royal family, the brooch was rediscovered in the Kensington Palace vault in early 2025, alongside other pieces from Diana’s collection, during preparations for a potential jewelry exhibition. Its re-emergence coincided with Kate’s ongoing tributes to Diana through her jewelry choices, including the Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot Tiara and the sapphire engagement ring, both of which have been prominently featured in her public appearances.

Kate, as the Princess of Wales, has access to the royal collection, including pieces Diana wore on loan, such as the Lover’s Knot Tiara, and personal items inherited through William, like the sapphire engagement ring. In March 2025, Kate was seen wearing a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings at a state banquet, believed to be crafted from elements of Diana’s Saudi sapphire suite, a wedding gift from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. These earrings, worn at the 2023 Trooping the Colour and other events, were a subtle nod to Diana, but their connection to the sapphire brooch was not immediately clear.

Meanwhile, Meghan Markle, who has worn Diana’s aquamarine ring, butterfly earrings, and a gold bracelet from her post-divorce collection, is believed to have incorporated diamonds from the sapphire and pearl choker into her engagement ring. Announced in November 2017, Meghan’s ring, designed by Harry, features two diamonds from Diana’s jewelry collection, with speculation pointing to the choker’s diamond surround as their source. Harry’s decision to use these stones was a tribute to his mother, but it reportedly caused tension when Kate learned of the choker’s partial disassembly, as she had hoped to preserve it intact for a future display honoring Diana.

Sources suggest that Kate, who views herself as a guardian of Diana’s legacy within the royal family, was “furious” upon learning that the choker’s diamonds had been repurposed without consultation. The brooch, restored to its original form, was found in the vault, but the choker’s pearls were missing, raising questions about whether they were retained by Harry or stored separately. Meghan, in turn, reportedly felt that Harry’s inheritance gave him the right to use the diamonds, and she was “shocked” by Kate’s reaction, perceiving it as an attempt to control Diana’s legacy. The disagreement has reportedly deepened the rift between the two, with Meghan feeling that Kate’s access to the royal collection overshadows her own tributes to Diana.

The Emotional and Symbolic Weight

The sapphire brooch’s story is laden with emotional significance. For Diana, it was a versatile piece that symbolized her transformation from a shy bride to a confident style icon. Its conversion into a choker reflected her creativity and defiance of royal convention, much like her choice of a catalog-bought engagement ring. For William and Kate, the brooch represents a tangible link to Diana, especially poignant after the discovery of a handwritten note in the Lover’s Knot Tiara’s case, addressed to William.

For Harry and Meghan, the choker’s diamonds in Meghan’s engagement ring are a personal connection to Diana, reflecting Harry’s desire to keep his mother’s memory close. However, the lack of communication about the choker’s alteration has reportedly fueled resentment, with Kate feeling that the piece’s historical integrity was compromised. Online discussions, particularly on forums like Reddit’s r/RoyaltyTea, highlight the divide: some fans argue that Kate’s role as Princess of Wales gives her precedence in honoring Diana’s royal jewels, while others believe Harry’s personal inheritance justifies his choices.

The Brooch’s Current Status and Legacy

A History Of The Gorgeous Jewels That The Duchess Of Cambridge Inherited  From Princess Diana

As of August 2025, the sapphire brooch remains in the Kensington Palace vault, restored to its original form but separate from the pearl choker configuration. Plans for its inclusion in a Kensington Palace exhibition, potentially in 2026, are under consideration, though the family is protective of its privacy, given the tensions surrounding its history. Kate has continued to wear Diana’s jewelry, including the sapphire earrings and engagement ring, as a tribute, while Meghan has favored pieces from Diana’s post-divorce collection, like the aquamarine ring worn at her 2018 wedding reception.

The sapphire brooch, once a symbol of Diana’s entry into royal life, now embodies the complexities of her legacy, caught between two princes and their wives. Its disappearance after 1996 and sudden reappearance in 2025 have reignited interest in Diana’s jewelry, but the reported discord between Kate and Meghan underscores the challenges of sharing a beloved figure’s memory. As one royal insider noted, “Diana’s jewels are more than stones—they’re pieces of her heart, and everyone wants to hold onto them.” The brooch, like Diana herself, remains a captivating enigma, its full story perhaps never to be fully revealed.

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