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THE nation has entered a period of mourning following the sad announcement that Her Majesty the Queen passed away at the age of 96 yesterday afternoon.
The Royal Family will likely be seen wearing black during this time out of respect for the monarch - and we have seen Kate Middleton and Camilla wearing white pearls for a very important reason.
Today, Camilla and King Charles III were greeted by a rapturous crowd outside Buckingham Palace, and the new Queen Consort was seen wearing her Four-Stranded Necklace with Round Diamond Clasp.
And Kate - wearing her £425 18ct gold baroque pearl earring - was seen for the first time since Her Majesty's passing, as she picked up her kids, George, Charlotte and Louis, from school.
White pearls are the jewellery that is officially worn during the mourning period by the family.
They are often referred to as “mourning jewellery”, and this dates back to Queen Victoria’s reign.
Following the death of her husband Prince Albert, Queen Victoria famously wore black for 40 years in tribute.
The only jewellery she wore was black or colourless, and strands of pearls were a frequent feature.
The pearls were thought to be symbolic of tears, according to .
The tradition has continued among the royal family over the years, including at the funeral of the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, in April 2021.
For the ceremony, Kate wore an iconic Japanese Pearl Choker necklace, paired with Bahrain Diamond and Pearl Drop earrings from the Queen’s collection.
Meanwhile, the Queen paid tribute to her husband wearing a three-strand pearl necklace and matching earrings.
Her Majesty also opted to wear pearls to the funerals of Princess Diana, Princess Margaret and King George VI.
Leslie Field, the author of The Queen's Jewels, told : "Pearls are traditional for Queens going back one thousand years- there has never been a Queen who didn’t wear pearls.
“They were rare, beautiful and lustrous and the more you wear them, the more lustrous they become.”
As well as wearing pearls, we could also see royal women choosing other jewellery pieces that pay tribute to the Queen, such as ones from her collection.
King Charles III shook hands with well-wishers today as he began his first day as the nation's monarch after a 70-year wait for the throne.
The nation has now entered a period of mourning that will be observed from today until seven days after the Queen's funeral.
A series of 96-round gun salutes commemorating each year of the Queen's incredible life sounded across the UK at 1pm.
THE nation is in mourning after beloved Queen Elizabeth dies aged 96 - here is all you need to know about Her Majesty's glorious life and what's next.
