The Princess of Wales Wears Pearls and Charms in Reggio Emilia

On Wednesday, the Princess of Wales embarked on a special trip to Italy, wearing pearls and tiny charms as she visited the city of Reggio Emilia.

Princess Catherine was greeted by cheering crowds and a gaggle of press on her arrival in Reggio Emilia on Wednesday. She was greeted by the city’s mayor, Marco Massari, at the local town hall, where she also had the chance to meet with a group of women who helped to shape the famous educational approach named after the city.

The visit was coordinated as part of Kate’s work with the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. After her visit to city hall, she headed to the Loris Malaguzzi International Centre, where she learned more about the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy, and then to Scuola Comunale d’infanzia Anna Frank, where she witnessed the philosophy in action in classrooms of preschool children.

For the occasion, Catherine wore a blue trouser suit made by a Canadian-British designer, Edeline Lee. Kate has worn pieces from the designer’s brand often this year, including a brown dress chosen for her first meeting with the new Archbishop of Canterbury.

With the blue jacket and trousers, Kate reached for pieces from her personal collection of pearl jewelry. Her earrings, pear-shaped pear drops from Annoushka suspended from diamond Kiki McDonough hoops, have been in her jewelry box since 2012. She coordinated them with another pearl drop, worn on a gold chain, from Monica Vinader.

Kate has worn the earrings and necklace together before. She memorably paired them together in the spring of 2022 when she joined the Princess Royal for a visit to the headquarters of the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in London.

During her Italian visit on Wednesday, however, Catherine added a little extra something to the necklace: a trio of gold and diamond charms in the shape of a mushroom, an oak leaf, and an acorn. She’s had the Asprey charms in her collection since 2014. They were a natural choice for a visit to learn about the Reggio Emilia philosophy, in which the natural environment is an important part of the educational space.

Here’s a better look at the woodland charms themselves, worn for a visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London when Kate was still Duchess of Cambridge.

Wednesday’s jewelry look was completed with the princess’s favorite ring stack: her gold wedding band, her diamond and sapphire eternity ring, her famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring, and her diamond eternity band.