Princess Catherine Wore an Emerald Choker That Once Belonged to Princess Diana

(Image credit: Getty)

published 3 December 2022

The work of the Earthshot Prize is incredibly important—but we’ve got to talk about the Princess of Wales’ outfit, y’all. In keeping with the event’s sustainable theme (guests were specifically asked to not buy new attire for the evening), Catherine rented her off-the-shoulder green gown from HURR, a U.K. rental platform for designer dresses. Her dress was from Solace London, and she paired it with a glittery pair of Gianvito Rossi pumps, and perhaps the ultimate rewear: an emerald and diamond choker that once belonged to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. This is the first time the piece has been seen since Diana herself wore it, which she did on multiple occasions.

Catherine also wore emerald and diamond earrings by Asprey, and William did a rewear himself, wearing a blue velvet blazer we’ve seen on him before.

But the choker…

Diana wore the piece as a necklace, but also famously wore it as a headband in 1985 in Australia, while in the country on tour with then-husband Prince Charles.

People reports “it was by accident that Diana came to wear it as a headpiece. Instead of clasping it around her neck, she tried to fit it over her head, but the choker became stuck, according to royal biographer Kitty Kelley. She liked the way it looked across her forehead so much that she decided to wear it that way for the evening.”

The piece was originally given to Queen Mary in 1911 and was then passed down to Diana from Queen Elizabeth after her wedding to Charles. As we’ve seen with various other pieces, Diana’s extensive jewelry collection was given to both of her sons, whose wives both wear her pieces frequently (in Catherine’s case, daily, as she wears Diana’s iconic sapphire and diamond engagement ring).

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.