She broke from royal protocol by hugging survivors at the ceremony.
Just days after revealing she’s in remission from cancer, Kate Middleton made a last-minute appearance alongside Prince William as they attended a Holocaust Memorial event together. For her second official appearance of 2025, the Princess of Wales went with a classic look, stepping away from the jewel tones, plaid tartan prints, and dress coats she’s been gravitating towards over the past year. Along with a simple black coat and trousers, Kate paid homage to those who lost their lives in the genocide by wearing two statement pearl jewelry pieces for the London Holocaust service–and according to style experts, the “dynasty” pieces carry a secret message.
Buckingham Palace confirmed Kate’s unexpected appearance just hours before she joined Prince William at the ceremony, which commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. As she stepped out at London’s Guildhall alongside her husband, 50 Holocaust survivors, and British government officials like Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Middleton chose meaningful pearl jewelry pieces with ties to the royal family.
Her Bahrain Pearl Drop earrings with diamond embellishments–which was gifted to the late monarch by the ruler of Bahrain in 1947–were front and center, thanks to Kate’s side-parted hairstyle where her long brunette locks were tucked behind her right ear. Meanwhile, a five-string pearl necklace–a design from Jewish-owned, London vintage jewelry dealer Susan Caplan–added some shine to Kate’s black sweater.
Pearls have been a sign of mourning for the royal family since the days of Queen Victoria, as the monarch memorably wore pearls to commemorate her husband Prince Albert after his death. Kate has followed in this touching sartorial tradition over the years, most recently wearing the Bahrain Pearl Drop earrings for her Remembrance Day appearance. She also memorably paired the drop earrings with a pearl collar choker worth more than $25,000 at both Prince Philip’s and Queen Elizabeth’s funerals.
“Pearls are one of the very few jewelry items you can wear in mourning and are inextricably linked with Queen Elizabeth and her personal jewelry legacy,” Bethan Holt, author of The Queen: 70 Years of Majestic Style, previously told People about the royal style tradition. “It’s a symbol of mourning a monarch, but also a grandmother or great-grandmother.”
Hugo Vickers, a royal historian, previously told Page Six that Kate’s recent jewelry choices are a nod to her future role as queen. “We’re starting to see the nods to the family line,“ he told the publication. “It’s a dynasty moment and shows she’s conscious at some point of really stepping into the most senior role of queen.”
Paired with her somber all-black attire, the Princess of Wales’s jewelry choice leaned into the gravity of the memorial. Lighting candles along with Prince William at the event, the Princess of Wales also broke with royal protocol as she was reunited with two Holocaust survivors she photographed back in 2020, Yvonne Bernstein and Stephen Frank.
“It was such a treat for me to come and see an old friend,” she told Bernstein as she hugged her during the event, according to The Sun. Meanwhile, she also had a warm embrace for Frank, who reportedly thanked her for sending him a Christmas card.
While Kate didn’t join Prince William as he delivered a speech at the memorial, she did share a quick update on her health, reportedly remarking, “it’s good to be able to be here.”