Princess Kate brought a major royal heirloom out of the vault for a glamorous night at the movies.
The Princess of Wales joined Prince William at the world premiere of ‘Digger’ in London’s Leicester Square on Tuesday, September 22, making a striking entrance in a flowing purple gown by Jenny Packham. But as dramatic as her monochromatic look was, it was the historic jewel around her neck that stole the spotlight.
Kate accessorized the rich purple gown with the Queen Mother’s amethyst sautoir, a spectacular necklace with a royal history stretching back more than a century.
© Daily Herald ArchiveThe heirloom features strands of pearls accented with diamonds and amethysts, leading to an unmistakable heart-shaped amethyst pendant framed in diamonds. Its purple stones created an almost seamless continuation of Kate’s gown, turning the historic piece into the focal point of the entire look.
A royal wedding gift from 1923:
The necklace’s story dates back to 1923, when Queen Alexandra presented it to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the future Queen Mother, ahead of her marriage to Prince Albert, Duke of York, who would later become King George VI.
© MirrorpixThe jewel was displayed among Elizabeth’s wedding gifts at Buckingham Palace, and Queen Alexandra reportedly accompanied it with a handwritten message for her future granddaughter-in-law.
The Queen Mother is recorded as having worn the necklace during the mourning period following Alexandra’s death in 1925, although photographs of those appearances were not published.
© Dave BenettFor decades, the unusual amethyst piece was largely absent from public view.
It made a memorable return in 2012 when the then-Duchess of Cornwall, now Queen Camilla, wore a shortened version to another major movie premiere: the royal premiere of ‘Skyfall’ at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
© Justin Goff PhotosFourteen years later, Kate has now given the heirloom another red-carpet moment, this time allowing its heart-shaped pendant and violet stones to complement her purple evening gown.
Kate goes all in on purple:
The Princess’ Jenny Packham gown featured a plunging V-neckline, a softly gathered bodice and a floor-sweeping skirt, with sheer long sleeves adding movement to the otherwise streamlined silhouette.
Rather than introducing a contrasting color through her accessories, Kate leaned into the jewel-tone palette, allowing the amethysts to echo the deep purple of the dress.
© Samir HusseinShe completed the jewelry moment with dangling pearl earrings, keeping the rest of her accessories understated enough for the historic necklace to remain front and center.
Her beauty look followed the same polished approach. Kate wore her brunette hair swept away from her face in a glamorous half-up style, with volume at the crown and loose lengths cascading down her back.
© VarietyThe hairstyle also served a practical fashion purpose. It left both her earrings and the intricate necklace completely visible.
For makeup, the Princess opted for defined brows, smoky eye makeup, rosy cheeks and a soft pink lip, giving the regal evening look a slightly more dramatic finish suited to the red carpet.
Prince William complemented his wife in a black velvet double-breasted tuxedo jacket, white shirt and bow tie.
© GEOFF PUGHThe couple attended the premiere alongside Tom Cruise and members of the film’s creative team. Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, ‘Digger’ stars Cruise alongside Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons.
The evening marked the 73rd Royal Film Performance, the Film and TV Charity’s flagship fundraising event supporting people working behind the scenes across Britain’s film, television and cinema industries.
It also brought William and Kate back into Cruise’s orbit four years after their memorable appearance at the 2022 U.K. premiere of ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ This time, however, one of the night’s biggest stars wasn’t on the movie poster. It was the century-old royal jewel around Kate’s neck.
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