The earrings are part of a modular set made of gold, diamonds, and sapphires, like many pieces in the royal collection. According to The Royal Watcher blog, the butterflies on these earrings were first seen around Diana’s neck, attached to the necklace from the set, during a dinner held at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London in 1985. After the princess’s tragic death in 1997, this jewelry set was bequeathed to her youngest son, who then gave it to his wife.
Markle has worn these butterflies on several occasions as a symbolic tribute to her late mother-in-law. She wore this pair for the first time in 2018 during a trip to Australia, which also marked her first public appearance since announcing her pregnancy. At the time, she was pregnant with Prince Archie, born in May 2019. She wore the sparkling butterflies again upon her return from maternity leave, when she attended the launch of a clothing collection to benefit the Smart Works charity, of which she is a patron. In 2022, she accessorized a camel-colored outfit with the same earrings on the opening day of the Invictus Games in The Hague. Finally, in 2024, she visited a preschool in Bogotá, Colombia, wearing these earrings so dear to the heart of Princess Diana, who had begun her career as a nursery school teacher in London before her engagement to Charles.
Originally published in Vanity Fair France.