The Princess of Wales has long been celebrated for her impeccable style and ability to incorporate meaningful elements into her wardrobe. Among her most iconic accessories is the Bahrain Pearl Earrings, steeped in history and sentimentality.
Elizabeth II’s wedding to Prince Philip in 1947 saw the Princess receive a magnificent array of gifts from both world leaders and dignitaries, alongside other royal families. Among these gifts were seven large pearls presented by the ruler of Bahrain.
Shortly after the wedding, two of these pearls were selected to create the Bahrain Pearl Earrings.
Throughout her 70-year reign, Elizabeth II wore the Bahrain Pearl Earrings on numerous occasions; one of the most iconic appearances of these earrings was during her 1951 tour of Canada.
However, they gained international recognition in the portraits taken by Dorothy Wilding, where the late Queen paired the earrings with the George IV State Diadem and the Nizam of Hyderabad Necklace. These portraits later featured on banknotes, coins, and stamps, cementing the earrings as part of the enduring image of Her Majesty.
The earrings were also loaned by Elizabeth II to other members of the Royal Family. Diana, Princess of Wales, wore them during the Dutch State Visit to the UK in 1982, paired with the Lovers’ Knot tiara and the Japanese pearl choker. Similarly, The Countess of Wessex wore the earrings in 2014 for a performance at the Royal Albert Hall.
The Bahrain Pearl Earrings first made their way to Catherine, The Princess of Wales, in 2016. She debuted the earrings at the Remembrance Sunday service that year.
Since then, the earrings have become a staple in Catherine’s jewellery collection, often chosen for occasions of great significance: they were worn at the Platinum Jubilee service at St. Paul’s Cathedral in 2022, as well as the funerals of Prince Philip in 2021 and Elizabeth II in 2022.
Most recently, the Princess wore the Bahrain Pearl Earrings for Holocaust Memorial Day 2025, pairing them with a five-strand pearl necklace and a tailored black coat dress.
