Kate Middleton returned to the BAFTAs for the first time in three years on February 22. In addition to re-wearing a blush pink Gucci gown, the Princess of Wales also pulled a bracelet and earrings from the royal collection.Her earrings were once given to then-Princess Elizabeth as a wedding gift when she married Prince Philip in 1947.
Kate Middleton made a triumphant return to the BAFTAs on February 22—her first time at the awards ceremony since 2023.
Wearing an off-the-shoulder, ethereal blush pink chiffon gown by Gucci with a burgundy velvet belt—a re-wear from 2019—she was side-by-side with her husband, Prince William, who donned a velvet burgundy tux. In addition to her dress, the Princess of Wales also made a statement with her jewelry, as she often does—in both a rarely seen bracelet and a pair of earrings that were a wedding present given to then-Princess Elizabeth back in 1947, when she married Prince Philip.
Kate Middleton on February 22, 2026.
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The future queen wore a choker bracelet from Queen Mary’s collection on Sunday, as well as the Greville Chandelier Earrings—both sparklers from the royal collection. Kate’s bracelet is composed of diamond bars in an art deco design and, per Tatler, the piece was created in the 1920s, right around the time Queen Mary wore it in a portrait. On that occasion, it was worn as a choker, and the outlet reported that it’s not known whether the piece was originally intended to be a choker or a bracelet, but it has been worn mostly as a bracelet in recent years.
Kate Middleton wearing Queen Mary’s choker bracelet.
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After Queen Mary died in 1953, the piece wasn’t seen again for more than 20 years, until the Queen Mother wore it in portraits marking her 75th birthday. After the Queen Mother’s death in 2002, her eldest daughter Queen Elizabeth inherited the piece, and since then, Kate has worn it to a Chinese state banquet in 2015, a charity gala in 2016, while on a state visit to Paris in 2017, and at the Diplomatic Corps reception at Buckingham Palace in 2018. The Princess of Wales most recently wore the bracelet at the Royal Variety Performance back in November.
Kate Middleton wearing Queen Mary’s choker bracelet to the BAFTAs.
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Kate’s earrings were made by Cartier between 1918 and 1929, according to Tatler, and are made with modern cut diamonds set in platinum. They were originally owned by Margaret Greville—hence the name—a society figure who was a close friend of Queen Mary. When Greville died, the earrings were bequeathed to the Queen Mother, who then, along with her husband King George VI, gave Princess Elizabeth the pair of earrings for her wedding day. They became a favorite of Queen Elizabeth’s, and she wore them with frequency, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s. Kate now wears them frequently, including at the aforementioned Royal Variety Performance last November.
Kate Middleton wearing Queen Elizabeth’s earrings.
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Kate is a frequent attendee at the BAFTAs, making an appearance at the awards ceremony in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2023. For all of those appearances but one, she wore Alexander McQueen, long a favorite of the future queen; in 2018, while pregnant with Prince Louis, she wore a gown by Jenny Packham.
Kate Middleton and Prince William on February 22, 2026.
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Kate Middleton at the BAFTAs on February 22, 2026.
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On Sunday evening, in addition to her heirloom jewelry and Gucci gown, the Princess of Wales carried a burgundy Prada Raso Minaudière bag and wore crystal Gianvito Rossi pumps, per Vogue. She wore her brunette hair in loose waves and her glam included a smokey eye and a pop of rose-colored lip.