VE Day 2025: Will Princess Kate wear ruby earrings again, were they an anniversary gift?

Catherine, Princess of Wales will join her husband Prince William and other senior royals at a national service of thanksgiving marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day today (Thursday May 8) at Westminster Abbey in London. It is highly unlikely that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will be in attendance as they will be at school. Princess Charlotte recently celebrated turning 10, whilst Prince Louis also had his 7th birthday recently.

For the start of the VE Day celebrations, Catherine, Princess of Wales recycled a plum coat dress by Emilia Wickstead and accessorised her look with a matching Sean Barrett hat. Eagle-eyed royal fashion followers would have recognised her Emilia Wickstead coat dress as she wore it during a state visit by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa in 2022. On this occasion however, as well as wearing a RAF brooch, she seemed to be sporting new jewellery.

Tatler reported that “Dazzling from the viewing platform, the Princess of Wales appeared to be wearing a never-before-seen pair of earrings – a drop ruby surrounded by diamonds, dangling from a trio of diamonds.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales of course recently celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary during an official visit to the Isle of Mull last week, perhaps Prince William gifted her with the jewellery as an anniversary present?

Tatler also reported that “If the earrings were in fact an anniversary present from Prince William, they might not be the only pair that he bought for her. While marking the big day on the Isle of Mull, Kate was seen in a new pair of blue topaz pear drop gems by Kiki McDonough. If so, the Prince clearly knows his wife well: the jeweller is a favourite of Catherine’s, who reportedly owns 20 pieces from the British designer.”

Who is Kiki McDonough?

Kiki McDonough is a fifth-generation London jeweller, the company was founded in 1985. On her website, it states that “Worn by the British Royal Family, Kiki’s jewellery is known and loved on the global luxury stage.”

When it comes to having the Princess of Wales as a client, Kiki McDonough told Town & Country that “She's absolutely lovely. She's charming and we're very lucky to have her. She is a working mother, and I think it is the sort of jewelry that you can wear, and no one's going to point the finger at you, or run you over in the street because they want your ring. I think it's just very nice to wear fine jewellery.”