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The History Behind Kate Middleton’s Greville Chandelier Earrings
Steeped in fascinating history, the Greville chandelier earrings were once worn by Queen Elizabeth II and are now being brought back to life by Kate Middleton.
Catherine, Princess of Wales wears the Greville Chandelier Earrings at the Royal Variety Performance at Royal Albert Hall on November 19, 2025. (Getty Images)
Since marrying into the British Royal Family in 2011, Catherine, Princess of Wales, has enjoyed unmitigated access to one of the world’s most dazzling jewelry collections. Lately, a historic pair of diamond danglers has been integrated into her regal repertoire. In November, Kate Middleton attended the Royal Variety Performance held at the Royal Albert Hall, wearing the Greville chandelier earrings, previously worn by Queen Elizabeth II.
It’s a little-known fact that some of the most outstanding pieces of jewelry in the British Royal Family’s collection are thanks to an unexpected benefactor. A close friend of the Queen Mother, British society hostess and philanthropist Dame Margaret Greville, left a treasure trove of diamond jewels to the royals upon her death in 1942 – including the eponymous Greville chandelier earrings.
Meet the Expert
- Amanda Matta is TikTok’s #1 royal commentator, known for her deep dives into the royal news cycle as @matta_of_fact. Since 2021, she’s covered everything from the Platinum Jubilee and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II to the coronation of King Charles III, bringing historical context to modern monarchy.
- She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Art History & Museum Studies from Juniata College (2017) and a Master’s degree in Arts Administration & Museum Leadership from Drexel University (2020).
The remarkable earrings were originally commissioned from Cartier in 1918. “These earrings come out time and time again because they are just so unique and stunning,” says royal expert Amanda Matta, known on TikTok as @matta_of_fact.
How Kate Middleton Revived the Greville Chandelier Earrings
Middleton pulled the 100-year-old Cartier diamond earrings out of the royal vaults, sporting the sentimental shoulder-scraping sparklers more frequently lately. She wore them to attend the State Banquet, welcoming the French President Emmanuel Macron and Mrs. Brigitte Macron this summer. Before that, Middleton wore them to the 2023 Diplomatic Reception at Buckingham Palace, and to Hussein, Crown Prince of Jordan, and Rajwa Al Saif’s wedding earlier that year.
Queen Elizabeth II Got Her Ears Pierced to Wear the Greville Chandelier Earrings
The Greville chandelier earrings were given to Queen Elizabeth II when she was still a princess in 1947. Her parents passed them down to her as a wedding gift. “Queen Elizabeth was handed down the jewels from previous generations at different points,” says Matta. “She actually wasn’t able to wear them for a while because she didn’t have pierced ears.”
When she first acquired the earrings, they were relegated to her jewelry box until she got her ears pierced in 1951. After that, “women everywhere rushed out to get their own ears pierced,” explains Matta.
Queen Elizabeth II wore the Greville chandelier earrings on numerous occasions throughout her reign, notably for her first Royal Variety Performance as monarch in 1952, making Middleton’s most recent jewelry moment even more poignant.
The Origin Story of the Greville Chandelier Earrings
- Round Brilliant-Cut Diamonds
- Half-Moon Diamonds
- Baguette Diamonds
- Trapeze Diamonds
- Pear-Shaped Diamond Drops
The Greville chandelier earrings feature a myriad of different diamond cuts, thanks to the skilled artisans of the early 20th century. Ms. Greville commissioned the first iteration of the earrings from Cartier in December 1918. In The Queen’s Diamonds, author Sir Hugh Roberts describes the original pair as “fancy-cut brilliant drop earrings.”
About four years later, Greville had the earrings revised by Cartier, adding twelve more diamonds, including six marquises, and six “baton brilliants” to add to the dramatic length. Then, she added ten more stones in February 1929 to create the earrings as we know them today. Now, the earrings are made up of brilliant-cut, half-moon, baguette-cut, trapeze, baton, emerald, and pear-shaped diamond drops, encased in platinum.
Dame Margaret Greville’s Sumptuous Jewelry Collection
The Greville chandelier earrings were among sixty or more pieces bequeathed to the Queen Mother in 1942 by her late friend, Dame Margaret Greville. When the Queen Mother passed away in 2002, her jewelry—including the earrings—was inherited by Queen Elizabeth II.
In addition to the Greville chandelier earrings, the Greville tiara, the Greville Emerald tiara, and the Greville festoon necklace have all been established as prominent jewelry staples of the modern monarchy. Also part of this dazzling windfall were the Greville ruby and emerald necklaces, a pair of diamond pear-drop earrings, a diamond stomacher, Greville pearl earrings, the Ivy Leaf clips, a diamond bow brooch, and the Greville Scroll brooch.
“They’re so interesting because they’re part of a collection that we don’t really know the scope of, which is so tantalizing, especially for royal jewelry,” Matta explains. “Since that was a private bequest, there could be so much more in that collection that we’ve never gotten to see.”
The Greville Tiara
One of the most impressive and extravagant pieces Queen Elizabeth II loaned to Camilla during her years as Duchess of Cornwall, the Greville Diamond Tiara has become a standout in her regular rotation. The tiara, also known as the Boucheron Honeycomb Tiara, was commissioned by Dame Margaret Greville at Boucheron in Paris in 1921, using diamonds from a 1901 tiara, created by the iconic Parisian jeweler.
The tiara is constructed around a geometrical honeycomb pattern, pavé-set with diamonds, and surrounded by a millegrain setting in platinum, thereby increasing the sparkle spectacularly. Round brilliant diamonds placed within the honeycomb sections are also bordered by millegrain.
In 1953, the Queen Mother had Cartier increase the height of this already significant piece by rearranging clusters of brilliants on the top layer, as well as adding four round brilliants from one of Her Majesty’s brooches and crowning the piece with a large marquise at the apex.
The Greville Emerald Tiara
Queen Camilla and King Charles III hosted the Diplomatic Corps reception at Windsor Castle in November, where the Queen wore the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara. One of the most expensive tiaras in the royal family’s collection, the recent appearance made waves. The last time the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara was seen was when Princess Eugenie of York wore it on her wedding day in 2018.
Crafted by French jeweler Boucheron in 1919 (though jewelry historian Vincent Meylan suggests it may have been closer to 1921) for Dame Margaret Greville, the tiara features a striking design of brilliant and rose-cut diamonds pavé-set in platinum, accented by nine cabochon emeralds.
Princess Eugenie wore the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara for her wedding to longtime love Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel in 2018. Many had expected her to don the York Tiara as her wedding tiara—the same one her mother, Sarah Ferguson, wore on her wedding day—but Eugenie surprised royal watchers with a dramatic and historic choice.
The tiara had not been seen in public for over 50 years until Eugenie wore it for her nuptials, making it a truly memorable “something borrowed.” Neither Queen Elizabeth ever wore the piece publicly, which had led many to believe it was no longer part of the royal collection.
The kokoshnik style, inspired by traditional Russian court headdresses, first gained popularity in the early 19th century. This particular example embodies the sleek elegance of 1920s Art Deco design, blending imperial grandeur with modern sophistication.
The Greville Festoon Necklace
Also part of the same bequest from Lady Greville is the spectacular Greville Festoon Necklace, which the Queen Consort wore for the first time in Uganda, alongside the sumptuous Greville tiara. The diamond necklace was created by Cartier in 1929, originally including two rows of plaques set with pavé-set diamonds around central round brilliants and a back-chain of two simple lines of diamonds fastened with a large brilliant also within a pavé-set plaque.
In 1938 Mrs. Greville commissioned Cartier to add four more plaques and redesign the back clasp. She also commissioned another necklace with three rows of 18 plaques that could be attached to the original necklace to create a fabulous five-row festoon necklace.
The Legacy of the Greville Chandelier Earrings
More than a century after Dame Margaret Greville commissioned them, the chandelier earrings still captivate with their extraordinary craftsmanship and storied journey through the royal lineage. Queen Elizabeth II elevated them; Catherine is reimagining them for a new era. As the Princess of Wales brings these century-old natural diamonds back into the spotlight, their legacy feels more alive than ever.
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