Kate Middleton is known for her incredible fashion sense.
The Duchess of Cambridge's style is famous throughout the world, even giving way to something called "The Kate Effect," in which women will swarm to purchase an article of clothing or an accessory after it's been spotted on the beautiful royal.
As a British royal, Kate has access to all manner of gorgeous jewelry, like crowns and tiaras. But did you know that one of Kate's simplest pieces of jewelry is actually inspired by her late mother-in-law?
Like Kate, Princess Diana was internationally beloved and known for her beauty, grace, and legendary style. It has recently been revealed that one of Kate's necklaces — a personalized, sentimental piece — is a "secret tribute" to Diana, even though Kate sadly never had the opportunity to meet Diana before her tragic, unexpected death.
Scroll through below to find out more!
Thumbnail Photo: Getty Images / Andrew Chin (left); Getty Images / Anwar Hussein (right)
Princess Diana tragically died in a car accident on August 31, 1997. At the time, her sons William and Harry were just little kids. William was only 15, and Harry was just 12.
Though Diana passed away 6 years before William would even meet and begin dating Kate at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, Diana's legacy has lived on in the years since her death.
Earlier this year, Diana's sons even announced that a statue would be built to honor their mother. It is expected to be completed by the end of this year, in time for the 20th anniversary of her death.
In announcing the status, Prince William and Prince Harry said:
It has been twenty years since our mother’s death and the time is right to recognize her positive impact in the UK and around the world with a permanent statue. Our mother touched so many lives. We hope the statue will help all those who visit Kensington Palace to reflect on her life and her legacy.
Diana's love for her boys was well known. The notoriously private royals have opened up more about their mother in recent years, in light of the upcoming documentary about her.
The late princess had many iconic looks throughout her years in the spotlight. While the necklace she wore in honor of her son William wasn't one of her more famous and widely recognized pieces of jewelry, it was one of her most personal.
According to Vanity Fair, Princess Diana used to wear a gold disc necklace. The necklace had a pendant on it that read "William," a tribute to her first-born son.
Prince Charles gave Diana the engraved gold pendant in 1982, when Prince William was born.
As it turns out, Kate has an engraved necklace of her own for that very same reason!
The Mirror reports that Kate owns an engraved pendant that is a subtle nod to her husband's late mother and also a tribute to her own firstborn son, Prince George. She doesn't wear it frequently, but when she does, it's eye-catching.
The necklace is a simple gold chain, with a circular engraved pendant, a smaller engraved pendant, and a little gold figure of a boy.
The smallest pendant is engraved with the letter "W" for her husband William. The largest pendant reads "George Alexander Louis," Prince George's full name.
Even the casual style of handwriting is similar to Diana's "William" pendant!
The pendant is from Merci Maman Boutique, which pointed out the similarities between Diana and Kate's necklaces in a blog post.
The necklace was reportedly given to Kate by her sister Pippa Middleton back in 2013, when Prince George was born.
No word yet on whether Pippa has added on a "Charlotte" pendant after the the little princess was born in 2015!
The necklace, which Merci Maman now calls "the Duchess Necklace," is available on the boutique's site for $129 with customization options, if you want to partake in Diana and Kate's tradition yourself.
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