Kate Middleton Subtly Pays Tribute to Princess Diana on Prince George’s First Day at Eton
Kate Middleton Subtly Pays Tribute to Princess Diana on Prince George’s First Day at Eton
Rachel BurchfieldWed, September 9, 2026 at 12:01 PM UTC
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Princess Kate, Prince George, and Prince William on September 8, 2026.Credit: GettyThe Gist -
On September 8, Prince William and Kate Middleton dropped Prince George off for his first day at Eton College.
In doing so, George follows in the footsteps of his father William, whose decision to attend the prestigious all-boys’ school was largely influenced by Princess Diana.
Both Kate’s $3,850 earrings and $250 necklace paid tribute to Diana.
Over 30 years after Princess Diana dropped Prince William off at Eton College to begin his educational career there in 1995, Kate Middleton did the same with her son Prince George—and made sure to pay subtle tribute to Diana in the process.
On September 8, 13-year-old George was accompanied by his parents the Prince and Princess of Wales as he arrived at the prestigious all-boys’ school, which counts William, his brother Prince Harry, and 20 U.K. prime ministers as alums. The Princess of Wales rewore a bottle green Emilia Wickstead mididress that she previously wore to a November 2023 engagement at Windsor Castle, pairing it with a Laura Lombardi chain necklace and Gianvito Rossi chocolate brown heels.
Princess Kate, Prince George, and Prince William arriving at Eton on September 8, 2026.Credit: Getty
Movingly, she also rewore a favorite pair of $3,850 Cartier Trinity hoop earrings that she’s been wearing with aplomb lately. The earrings feature three intertwined bands in 18-carat white, yellow, and rose gold, and Diana was one of the Cartier Trinity collection’s most famous fans. Per Tatler, Diana owned a ring from the set, which she wore on her little finger; Kate’s earrings are rumored to have been a gift from William, “who will surely have understood the collection’s powerful connection to his mother,” the outlet reported.
Kate “is said to take great care with regard to the symbolic import of her jewelry,” the publication added, noting that the Trinity earrings symbolize past, present, and future, as well as love, loyalty, and friendship.
Princess Diana, Prince Harry, and Prince William on William’s first day at Eton on September 6, 1995.Credit: Getty
Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and Prince Harry joining Prince William for his first day at Eton on September 6, 1995.Credit: Getty
The Princess of Wales often pays homage to Diana through her jewelry, but it was especially right for her to do so as she and William dropped George off at Eton for the next chapter of his educational life. It was Diana who was behind the “tradition-defying” choice to send William to Eton, Tatler noted; it was where Diana’s father John Spencer and brother Charles Spencer both attended. Royal biographer Simon Vigar told People that sending William to Eton was “very much a Diana decision,” and Diana, along with Prince Charles and Harry, were on hand 31 years ago to drop William off at the institution, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI.
Nilesh Raholia, founder of the jewelry brand Abelini, tells InStyle that Kate’s choice of necklace—which she previously wore during a 2022 visit to Boston alongside William and on a 2025 solo royal engagement—also pays tribute to Diana.
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Kate Middleton’s Laura Lombardi necklace, as seen on June 10, 2025.Credit: Getty
“Diana was known for exactly this kind of jewelry,” Rakholia says. “Bold gold chains, statement link necklaces, pieces with real presence rather than anything too dainty. There’s a similar spirit in what Catherine’s wearing here. I wouldn’t say it’s a deliberate reference, but the overlap is there.”
He adds, “It also feels fitting for the day itself. William walking his own son into Eton, more than 30 years after Diana walked him through the same gates. A chunkier gold piece with a bit of Diana’s boldness in it feels like a nice, understated way to mark that.”
Kate Middleton wearing her Cartier Trinity earrings on January 14, 2025.Credit: Getty
Kate, he continues, is “very consistent about rewearing pieces for moments that matter to her rather than buying something new every time. That tells you the necklace has some sentimental weight for her.” He adds that the $250 necklace is “a bolder shape than we usually see her reach for in her jewelry sometimes.”
“It says something that, on a day that’s all about George, it’s Catherine’s styling everyone’s talking about,” Rakholia says. “That’s not unusual for her, but it’s a nice example of how much attention her jewelry choices get—even on a day where she’d probably rather the focus stayed on her son.”
Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told The Mirror, “I don’t think Catherine models herself entirely on the mother-in-law she never knew, although she draws inspiration from the way Diana carried out her public duties. Today’s Princess of Wales is also a strong character in her own right.”
Kate Middleton wearing her Cartier Trinity earrings at Wimbledon on July 12, 2025.Credit: Getty
Bond added that Diana “would fully endorse the way William and Catherine are bringing up their family, giving them as much of a normal childhood as possible with lots of laughter, love, and cuddles along the way. She would have been a fun Granny who would have showered them with kisses and chased them ‘round the garden.”
on InStyle
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