The Duchess of Edinburgh Gleams in Gold to Remember VJ Day

My coverage of the royal jewels worn to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II wraps up today with a look at two pairs of gleaming golden earrings worn by the Duchess of Edinburgh in England and Scotland last week. 

On Tuesday, August 12, the Duchess of Edinburgh headed to Salisbury for a special meeting with a resident of Old Sarum Manor Care Home. Royal Marines veteran James “Jim” Wren, who is 105 years old, survived the sinking of HMS Repulse in December 1941 and was subsequently captured and held as a prisoner of war for more than three years. He shared some of his story with Sophie, who is the patron of the Java Far East Prisoners of War Club 1942, during her visit.

Sophie and Jim were joined during the visit by four generations of his family members: his daughter and son-in-law, Denise and Andy Dables; his granddaughter, Kirsty Dables; and his great-granddaughters, Freya and Ellie Dables. You can read more about his story, and see some of his collected memories, in this BBC profile.

For her visit with Jim, the Duchess wore a bright, patterned day dress with golden jewelry, including a pair of earrings from the designer Giulia Barela.

She also wore a necklace with a diamond-set pendant in the shape of an eye—perhaps a take on the traditional protective evil eye motif.

On Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were present for a service of remembrance held at the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle.

Here, the Duke is pictured laying a wreath at the memorial during the service. Atop this granite base is a steel box containing the original Rolls of Honour, a list of the names of Scottish servicemen, servicewomen, and civilians who died in military conflicts. The steel casket was a gift from King George V and Queen Mary, and it was installed in the memorial during its formal opening, attended by the then-Prince of Wales, in 1927.

During the service, Edward and Sophie were able to speak with veterans in attendance. For the VJ Day commemoration, Sophie wore a navy and white floral dress with the same necklace and another pair of Giulia Barela earrings.