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Kate Middleton wears the queen's necklace at Prince Philip's funeral

The four-strand pearl choker has been worn by three generations of royal women: Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
/ Source: TODAY

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is honoring Queen Elizabeth II in a touching way at Prince Philip’s funeral today.

The former Kate Middleton arrived at the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral donning a piece of jewelry from the queen’s collection. The duchess is wearing the queen's four-strand pearl necklace for today's ceremony, joined at the front by a diamond clasp.

Queen Elizabeth and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
Queen Elizabeth and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

The duchess paired the necklace with a black fascinator, a netted black veil, and a long black coat to mourn the loss of the Duke of Edinburgh. As one of the 30 guests in attendance at the ceremony, Prince William and Kate both wore black face masks in order to abide by the strict COVID-19 guidelines.

It’s been reported that the queen had the necklace made years prior with pearls that were gifted to her by the Japanese government. The pearl necklace has been worn on various occasions throughout the years by the queen, including a royal engagement in Bangladesh in 1983.

Kate also paid homage to another member of the royal family through her choice of jewelry: Princess Diana. The mother of William and Prince Harry had worn the necklace for a special occasion in 1982, borrowing the elegant choker from the queen for a royal banquet at Hampton Court Palace.

Royalty - Dutch Royal Family Banquet - Hampton Court Palace
G4DPC1 Royalty - Dutch Royal Family Banquet - Hampton Court PalaceAlamy

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have not made any public appearances since the death of Philip last week.

Prince William released a statement on Monday, April 12 through Kensington Palace to pay tribute to his grandfather. Kensington Palace shared a touching photo alongside the statement that was taken by Kate of Philip sharing a special moment with his great-grandson, Prince George, 7.

"I will always be grateful that my wife had so many years to get to know my grandfather and for the kindness he showed her," William said in part in his statement. "I will never take for granted the special memories my children will always have of their great-grandpa coming to collect them in his carriage and seeing for themselves his infectious sense of adventure as well as his mischievous sense of humor!"

“My grandfather was an extraordinary man and part of an extraordinary generation,” William concluded his statement. “Catherine and I will continue to do what he would have wanted and will support The Queen in the years ahead. I will miss my Grandpa, but I know he would want us to get on with the job.”