Plus, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Princess Charlotte paid quiet homage to Queen Elizabeth II.
The late Queen Elizabeth II knew the power of fashion. Throughout her 70-year reign, she used clothes, colours, hats and jewels to conduct soft diplomacy and developed a stylish language of covert symbols. So it was only fitting that today, as the world paid its final respects at the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey and committal service at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, the Royal Family—from Meghan Markle to Kate Middleton—continued the late monarch’s stylish legacy.
Needless to say, black was the colour of choice for the 2000+ royals, politicians and dignitaries that attended, but the sea of monochromatic ensembles seemed even more striking than usual. It’s a well-known fact that the British Royal Family must adhere to a stringent dress code. While most rules address appropriate necklines and hem lengths, there is one that states members of the monarchy can only wear black for mourning purposes. Meghan has famously broken this rule on multiple occasions, but you can probably count on one hand how many times you’ve seen Kate or Camilla in a dark dress—and Charlotte even fewer. So to see everyone so sombrely attired at the Queen’s funeral was especially compelling.
To pay tribute to the woman who was so much more than a monarch—a mother-in-law, grandmother-in-law and great-grandmother—the females of the family accessorized their sombre attire with meaningful jewellery. Meghan Markle wore a pair of earrings her Majesty gifted her in 2018. Kate Middleton, the newly titled Princess of Wales, wore a pearl-and-diamond choker and earrings that once belonged to the late monarch. And Princess Charlotte wore her first-ever brooch, one of the Queen’s trademark accessories.
See for yourself below, as we’ve broken down all the hidden symbolism in the royal jewels.