Kate Middleton Dusts Off Priceless Royal Jewels For First Time In Over A Decade At Tom Cruise Premiere

When you're a member of the royal family, you get to dress up for big red carpet events and you have an impressive range of priceless jewels to choose from, for the occasion, that the rest of us can only dream about. Kate Middleton — who has several sentimental jewelry pieces — wore one of the more rarely-seen items in the royal collection when she and husband Prince William attended the London premiere of Tom Cruise's new movie "Digger." For the occasion, the Princess of Wales wore an impressive pearl, amethyst, and diamond necklace with a dramatic heart-shaped pendant. The last time that this particular piece was seen in public was when Queen Camilla wore it back in 2012, also for a movie premiere. The necklace is known as the Queen Mother's Amethyst Sautoir Necklace. 

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"Sautoir" is a French word for a long necklace with a pendant or tassel of some kind at the end, which was especially popular in the early 20th century. The necklace in question was a wedding present from Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII, to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon when she married then-Prince Albert, and later King George VI, in 1923. While Princess Catherine has worn affordable jewelry on many occasions, this was definitely not one of those times. The Queen Mother's Amethyst Sautoir Necklace is estimated to be worth £50,000 (around $66,000). However, when you consider its history, the necklace is priceless. We love seeing vintage royal pieces making a reappearance.

It's worth noting that the Queen Mother's Amethyst Sautoir Necklace has been modified slightly for the modern royals; when both the Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla wore the piece, the chain was shorter than the original version. Kate Middleton paired the eye-catching necklace with a deep purple Jenny Packham gown with long sleeves for the "Digger" premiere. Her other accessories included a pair of pearl drop earrings that once belonged to Princess Diana.

Royalists adored the look, especially the necklace. One user on X posted: "The Princess of Wales looks epic in purple. Truly regal and suits her." Another fan enthused: "Princess Catherine completely stole the show at the premiere. Taking a century-old necklace and pulling off such a fresh, contemporary look is pure fashion royalty. Proof that true elegance never goes out of style."

Prince William, meanwhile, looked dapper in a tuxedo. He and Princess Catherine were even spotted chatting to Tom Cruise, the star of "Digger." It wasn't the first time they walked the red carpet with him; the royal couple also attended the 2022 premiere of "Top Gun: Maverick." Along with the Prince and Princess of Wales, Cruise has met a number of British royals over the years.