However, it was her sparkling diamond brooch that really caught the attention of royal watchers. Discreetly pinned to her lapel was Queen Alexandra’s three-feather brooch, traditionally worn by the woman married to the Prince of Wales. The small piece is designed to mimic the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales, with its trio of ostrich feathers surrounded by a crown, accented with tiny rubies and emeralds and all surrounded by an impressive cluster of diamonds. Although Kate usually wears the brooch in this iteration, an emerald pendant can be added, and the piece can also be converted into a pendant for a necklace.
The piece was made in 1863 by Garrard as a wedding gift for Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who married the Prince of Wales that year. Together, the couple dominated high society, before becoming King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra at the turn of the century. The brooch was presented to the princess as part of a jewelry set, which also included a brooch featuring a leek motif and a pair of emerald earrings, all purchased by a women’s committee, the Ladies of North Wales.
A moving reflection of tradition, the three-feather brooch has been worn by the princesses of Wales over the past half-century. Princess Diana often wore this jewelry during her marriage to then-Prince Charles, although she preferred to wear it as a pendant necklace. Before becoming queen, Camilla wore the brooch, along with its emerald pendant, to the film’s premiere in 2006, pairing it with emerald earrings from the same sequel.
Kate Middleton made her first appearance in the brooch in November 2022, two months after becoming Princess of Wales, to welcome the South African president to London for a state visit. She has worn it several times since, with and without the emerald drop, for important occasions: such as the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in 2023 and to greet President Donald Trump at Windsor Castle for his second state visit in September this year.
