Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are both married to members of the Royal Family. They have worn stunning pieces of jewellery over the years including items that once belonged to Princess Diana. What pieces of jewellery do they have?
When Kate and William tied the knot in 2011, she was given matching sapphire and diamond earrings that were also Princess Diana’s.
The Duchess of Cambridge has worn these on several occasions over the years.
Perhaps the most expensive piece she has worn from her mother-in-law’s collection is the Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara.
Kate has worn the tiara in the past to state dinners and it comes with a huge price tag, Eddie Le Vian, Le Vian CEO, told Express.co.uk.
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He said: “The Lover’s Knot Tiara has 19 diamond arches with 19 hanging pearls, all set in silver and gold.
“I estimate from having seen photographs of this tiara that it is made up of 85 carats of diamonds, the largest of which are three carats each, while the 19 pearls appear to be natural.
“I would value this tiara at approximately $3 million and at auction, well in excess of $25 million.”
The huge valuation means the item could fetch as much as £19 million, if sold at auction.
Since Meghan Markle married Prince Harry, she has also worn pieces of jewellery from Princess Diana’s collection.
She first wore Diana’s gold and sapphire bangle while on tour in Australia and wore it again at a couple of events in London.
He said: “Meghan’s ring is arguably the most famous contemporary engagement ring in the world today.
“Prince Harry chose a trilogy engagement ring for Meghan, with a centre stone from Botswana and two diamonds on either side which came from his late mother Princess Diana’s jewellery collection.
“In this way he created a new jewel with a beautiful sense of history.”
How did Kate Middleton become a royal?
Early life
Kate Middleton, or Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, was born on 9 January 1982 at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, England.
She was born to Michael and Carole Middleton, a former flight dispatcher and air hostess. The couple founded a party supplies company, Party Pieces, in 1987 – now estimated to be worth £30 million.
Kate has a younger sister Pippa Matthews, 34, and a younger brother James Middleton, 31.
Education
Kate and her family moved to Amman, Jordan, in 1984, where the future Duchess was educated at an English-speaking nursery school.
After moving back to Berkshire the family sent Kate to private school, St Andrews School. She went on to briefly study at Downe House before moving onto Marlborough College where she boarded.
For university the young Kate attended the University of St Andrews in Fife, Scotland. Here she was awarded an undergraduate MA (2:1 Hons) in history of art.
Relationship with Prince William
Kate met Prince William when they were both studying at St Andrews, and both living in St Salvator’s Hall. Famously, William reportedly took a fancy to Kate after she wore a see-through dress during a fashion show.
In 2003 the couple began dating and lived together during their second year of university.
The couple split in April 2007, however, in October they were back together.
Wedding
Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton with his late mother Princess Diana’s engagement ring in October 2010. The couple were holidaying in Kenya at the time.
On 29 April 2011 they married at Westminster Abbey with a whopping 26 million watching the event live.
Kate wore an Alexander McQueen dress worth a reported £250,000 on the big day.
Kate assumed the title “Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge” and also become the Duchess of Cambridge on the day.
