The story behind Meghan Markle's wedding day earrings
Today marks the second wedding anniversary of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, so what better time to look back at the royal bride's wedding day jewellery?
We all know she borrowed her stunning art deco Cartier tiara from Queen Elizabeth, and that she wore Princess Diana's aquamarine cocktail ring for the evening reception.
On her ears, she chose to wear some understated diamond stud earrings, but what you might have missed is that she actually wore them before her wedding day.
The Duchess of Sussex wore the Cartier Galanterie earrings twice in April 2018, a month before the wedding, once to a memorial service for Stephen Lawrence, the other to a service in Westminster Abbey.
This means it's unlikely they were a wedding gift from the groom or another member of the royal family.
The earrings could count as her something old on the big day, and they certainly add sentimental value, as Cartier is a brand that is closely linked to the royal family. Kate Middleton wore a Cartier tiara on her wedding day, and Princess Diana's favourite timepiece was the Cartier Tank watch, which Meghan Markle also owns.
Shop now: GALANTERIE DE CARTIER EARRINGS, POA from CARTIER
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The Duchess had in fact purchased it as a gift to herself to celebrate her success as an actress on Suits.
Another reason her jewellery choice was poignant is that she is not the first royal to debut her wedding day jewellery before the big day.
Princess Margaret broke all the rules by not only buying her own wedding day tiara at an auction (instead of borrowing one from the royal family collection), but she also wore it before the big day.
Who doesn't love a royal maverick?
Penny Goldstone is the Contributing Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. She writes about catwalk trends and the latest high street and Instagram sartorial must-haves. She also helms the Women Who Win franchise.
She has worked in fashion for over 10 years, contributing to publications such as Cosmopolitan, Red, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist.
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