When Princess Diana died at the age of 36 in a 1997 Paris car crash at the height of her fame, the personal items she left behind took on a new significance as quasi relics, soon acquired by the world's museums and private collectors.
While dresses worn by the royal at high-profile events command the highest prices on the open market—in 2019 the "Travolta dress" worn to a dinner at the White House in 1985 was sold for over $280,000—other personal items such as cards, signed photographs, and letters are also highly desirable.
Rarer to see appear for sale are items of jewelry once worn by Diana. An exception appeared for sale at Sotheby's on Wednesday in the form of an amethyst and diamond pendant once worn by the royal to a gala event. The jewel sold for $197,453 and was acquired by Kim Kardashian, according to the auction house.
After the princess' death, most of her personal jewelry was inherited by her two sons Princes William and Harry, with pieces loaned to her during her lifetime being returned to Queen Elizabeth II, where they are most likely to have been inherited by King Charles in 2022. Over the years, core pieces of Diana's collection have been worn by her daughters-in-law, Kate Middleton (the new Princess of Wales) and Meghan Markle.
Here, Newsweek looks at what happened to some of Princess Diana's most famous jewels.
The Engagement Ring
Purchased from famous London jewelers Garrard in 1981 from their seasonal collection, Princess Diana's engagement ring featured a large 12-carat oval sapphire set on a white gold band with a band of diamonds surrounding it.
The princess was enormously attached to the ring, famously continuing to wear it even after her divorce from Prince Charles was finalized in 1996.
After her death, Prince William asked to keep the ring as a keepsake and in 2010 he presented it to Kate Middleton to wear as her engagement ring. Kate has worn it ever since, removing it publicly only to visit hospitals or when she takes part in sports events.
Read more
- 12 Times Kate and Meghan Wore Jewelry From Diana
- Meghan Markle's Sentimental Jewels Inherited From Princess Diana
- How Kate Middleton Uses Her Jewelry Just Like Princess Diana
Queen Mary's Lover's Knot Tiara
As a wedding present, Queen Elizabeth II gave the new Princess of Wales a diamond and pearl tiara (on lifetime loan) which she had inherited from her grandmother, Queen Mary.
Mary had the diadem made in 1913 as a replica of an older piece owned by her aunt, the Grand duch*ess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She later had the piece altered in the 1920s and wore it throughout her life before it was inherited by Elizabeth in 1953.
Diana wore the tiara on a number of important state occasions throughout her married life but returned the piece to the queen when she divorced Prince Charles.
Since 2015, the tiara has been worn regularly by Kate Middleton. Most recently the princess wore the tiara to the state banquet at Buckingham Palace for President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa in November 2022.
Gold and Sapphire Butterfly Earrings
Princess Diana first wore a suite of modern gold and sapphire jewels in the 1980s comprising of a necklace and matching earrings featuring butterfly motifs.
The provenance of the jewels is unknown but the princess wore them on a number of daytime public and private occasions in the early years of her public life.
The pieces were not worn publicly in the 1990s and were not seen for many years after the princess' death until 2018 when they were debuted by Meghan Markle during her visit to Australia with Prince Harry.
Spencer Tiara
Worn on her wedding day, the Spencer tiara is perhaps the best known of Diana's two diadems being regularly used for important events such as the State Opening of Parliament and foreign tours up until the mid-1990s.
The tiara is a Spencer family heirloom and was inherited by Diana's brother, Earl Spencer. When he married, the tiara was worn by his spouses and has since Diana's death been loaned to other family members, most recently his niece, Celia McCorquodale to her wedding in 2018.
Diamond Tennis Bracelet
One of Princess Diana's more modern pieces of jewelry was her diamond tennis bracelet worn frequently in the final years of her life.
The bracelet was inherited by her two sons and since 2018 has been worn by Meghan Markle.
Diamond and Emerald Choker
Another wedding present (on lifetime loan) from Queen Elizabeth II to Diana in 1981 was a diamond and emerald choker necklace again inherited from her grandmother Queen Mary.
The art deco necklace featuring diamond plaques and large cabochon emeralds was worn by the princess both in its intended form and also as a bandeau mounted on her forehead.
The necklace is believed to have been returned to the queen after the princess' death and was not worn publicly again for 25 years, until December 2022 when Kate Middleton paired it with a green evening dress to attend the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Boston.
Aquamarine co*cktail Ring
After her divorce, Princess Diana began wearing a large baguette cut aquamarine co*cktail ring, most notably to attend the pre-auction launch party for the sale of her most famous dresses in 1997 to raise money for charity.
After her death, the ring was inherited by Princes William and Harry and was worn by Meghan Markle on her wedding day to attend the evening reception at Frogmore House.
Since then, the ring has been worn by Meghan on several public occasions, most recently to the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple Of Hope Gala in December.
Revenge Necklace
One of Princess Diana's most famous public appearances took place on June 29, 1994 at the Serpentine Gallery in London.
Scheduled to take place on the same night an explosive documentary featuring Prince Charles was due to air—in which he admitted for the first time publicly that he had been unfaithful to the princess during their marriage—Diana caused a sensation by arriving wearing a daringly low cut black evening dress, which ensured her the photographs would make the front pages of the newspapers the following day.
The dress was nicknamed the "revenge dress" and the statement necklace she wore with it the "revenge necklace."
The necklace was a pearl choker with a large sapphire and diamond central element which had originally been a brooch given to the royal by Elizabeth the queen mother as a wedding present.
The necklace was Diana's private property and, as such, is expected to have been inherited by Princes William and Harry after her death. It has not been seen publicly since then.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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