By Christine Estera| 1 week ago
As the royal family enters a 17-day period of mourning following the death of the Queen, they will honour tradition and only wear black clothing as a sign of respect for the beloved late monarch.
During the days that directly follow Queen Elizabeth II's death, we can also expect the women in the family to sport a hero piece of jewellery: white pearls.
According to The Telegraph, white pearls are thought to be symbolic of tears and are officially worn by the royal family when in mourning.
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The tradition is said to date back to the late 1800s, during Queen Victoria's reign.
Following the death of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861, the monarch famously wore black for 40 years in tribute and only accessorised with black or colourless jewellery – and pearls were her jewellery item of choice.
Kate Middleton, the new Princess of Wales, and Camilla, the newly-minted Queen Consort, are already leading by example, both seen wearing pearls during their first public outings since the Queen's death.
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A sombre-looking Kate was dressed in customary black when picking up her children this morning when picking up her children, Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four, from school in Windsor.
The Princess of Wales was also seen wearing pearl drop earrings as she drove to and from the school.
Meanwhile, as Queen Camilla and King Charles III emerged for the first time since the Queen's death, returning to London from Balmoral, Scotland, where the monarch died, Camilla wore top-to-toe black as they greeted mourners gathered outside Buckingham Palace.
Camilla also seemingly wore the same white pearls to the Accession Council on September 10, when her husband was formally declared King at St James' Palace.
This necklace appears to be Camilla's favourite piece, as she wears it the most out of all her jewellery, apart from her engagement ring. The pearls are held together by a round diamond clasp, possibly made in the Victorian era due to its design.
The piece is clearly important to Camilla as she wears this necklace to the most important royal events, including to the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in 2018.
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A three-strand diamond necklace has significance in royal circles.
According to traditional etiquette, pearl necklaces in odd numbers are seen as more formal than multiple strands in even numbers. Additionally, wearing one strand was seen as common while sporting two or more shows you can afford to own more pearls.
The Queen, who had an extensive collection of pearls, often favoured three-strand necklaces, like the one gifted to her by her grandfather, King George V, back in 1935 for his Silver Jubilee.
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The Queen wore three-strand varieties throughout her 73-year reign. She even wore a three-strand pearl necklace and matching earrings to her husband, Prince Philip's funeral last year. Her Majesty also wore pearls to the funerals of Princess Diana, Princess Margaret and King George VI.
"Pearls are traditional for Queens going back one thousand years – there has never been a Queen who didn't wear pearls," Leslie Field, the author of The Queen's Jewels, previously told People magazine. "They were rare, beautiful and lustrous and the more you wear them, the more lustrous they become."
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