Members of the royal family participated in a pair of Anzac Day commemorations in London earlier today, with the Princess Royal wearing classic pearls at Hyde Park Corner and the Princess of Wales opting for a sentimental pair of sapphire earrings at Westminster Abbey.
The day began at dawn with the traditional Anzac Day service at Hyde Park Corner in London. Each year, the ceremony alternates between the Australian and New Zealand War Memorials, which are both on the site. This year, the ceremony was held at the New Zealand War Memorial.
The national day of remembrance honors all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations and recognizes the contribution and suffering of all those who have served. The day of remembrance, observed each April 25, was first established more than a century ago to honor the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought in World War I, especially during the Gallipoli campaign in present-day Turkey. Ceremonies are held throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Tonga, as well as in the United Kingdom and many other nations.
For the early morning ceremony at the New Zealand War Memorial, Princess Anne secured her poppy with the gold and diamond ribbon brooch that has been in her jewelry box for more than half a century.
A few hours later, another wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Cenotaph in Whitehall. The royal family was represented there by the Princess of Wales. She laid a wreath with a handwritten message: “In memory of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.” The card was signed by both Catherine and William.
After the ceremony and parade, Princess Catherine traveled to Westminster Abbey to attend the Anzac Day service of commemoration and thanksgiving there.
Clips from the Westminster Abbey service can be seen in the YouTube video above. Footage from the Cenotaph ceremony was also shared on the official Instagram account of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
For the service, Catherine wore a navy and white coat dress, featuring the kind of crisp tailoring she prefers for military-related events. She also wore a coordinating navy blue hat and shoes and carried a small navy handbag.
The blue theme carried through to Kate’s jewelry as well. She wore the diamond and cabochon sapphire double cluster earrings that come from the collection of her late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales.
The earrings were mainstays in Diana’s collection, paired with a variety of sapphire jewels for different day and evening occasions. Here, she wears them with her pearl, sapphire, and diamond choker necklace at the Royal Albert Hall in London in the summer of 1991.
Catherine has been wearing the earrings for several years now. She made her first public appearance in the sapphires at Trooping the Colour in 2022, and she’s used them frequently for high-profile events since then. Above, she wears them to welcome the President of South Korea to London in November 2023.
With the earrings, Kate wore another piece of blue jewelry from her personal collection: a necklace with a diamond and tanzanite pendant, thought to have come from Collins & Sons.
The pendant has a matching set of diamond and tanzanite earrings, and Kate has frequently worn the pieces together. Here, she wears the earrings and the necklace on Garter Day in June 2022.
The princess also pinned a paper poppy to her lapel for the pair of commemorative services. It’s a special Anzac Day poppy, featuring a small white tag with the traditional logo of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association.
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