Kate Middleton Makes the Case for the Statement Brooch This Winter

It was, however, her sparkling diamond brooch that really caught the eyes of royal watchers. Discreetly pinned to her lapel was Queen Alexandra’s Three Feathers Brooch, which is traditionally worn by the woman married to the Prince of Wales. The petite piece is designed to mimic the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales, with its trio of ostrich feathers encircled by a coronet, accented by 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 drop 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 present 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 suit of jewels, that also included a brooch featuring a leek motif and a pair of emerald drop earrings, all purchased by a committee of women, the Ladies of North Wales.

In a moving reflection of tradition, the Three Feathers Brooch has been donned by the Princesses of Wales over the last half century. Princess Diana wore the jewel often during her marriage to the then Prince Charles, although she preferred to style it as a pendant necklace. Before she became Queen, Camilla wore the brooch, together with its emerald pendant, for a film premiere in 2006, matching it with the emerald earrings from the same suite.

Kate Middleton made her first appearance in the brooch in November 2022—two months after becoming the Princess of Wales—to welcome the President of South Africa to London for a state visit. She has worn it several times since, styled with and without the emerald drop, for significant 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.