Kate Middleton Wears Queen Elizabeth’s Pearl Necklace as She Marks Late Monarch’s 100th Birthday with Prince William

The Prince and Princess of Wales stepped out on April 21, 100 years after the birth of the history-making monarch

Kate Middleton and Prince William attend reception on the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s birth on April 21, 2026.Credit : 

Aaron Chown – Pool/Getty

Kate Middleton and Prince William stepped out to mark a very special anniversary: the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s birth.

The Prince and Princess of Wales joined members of the British royal family on Tuesday, April 21, as they marked the late monarch’s centennial. Queen Elizabeth died in 2022 at age 96 after a historic 70-year reign.

The Prince and Princess of Wales joined a Buckingham Palace reception with citizens celebrating their 100th birthdays. Princess Kate, 44, wore a purple dress and accessorized with a meaningful necklace that paid tribute to her grandmother-in-law: a three-strand pearl necklace. According to Tatler, the jewels previously belonged to Queen Elizabeth.

Queen Elizabeth wore the pearls in the final official portrait ever taken of her, and Princess Kate has worn the necklace since the monarch’s death, including a Buckingham Palace reception ahead of the sovereign’s funeral.

Many members of the royal family joined the palace reception, including King Charles, Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sophie (the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra and the Duke of Kent.

In honor of the anniversary, royals stepped out for a series of events. On April 20, King Charles and Queen Camilla visited an exhibit at Buckingham Palace displaying Queen Elizabeth’s fashion. The following day, Princess Anne opened a garden named in her mother’s honor. The King and Queen also viewed the design recommendations for the Queen Elizabeth Memorial at the British Museum.

The Prince and Princess of Wales also marked the occasion with a social media post that featured photos of their family, including their children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, with the Queen.

“Remembering Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the 100th anniversary of her birth. Inspiring generations through a lifetime of duty,” the post was captioned.

Prince William, the current heir to the throne behind his father, King Charles, spoke about his “good relationship” with his grandparents Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip during a chat with Eugene Levy on The Reluctant Traveler that aired last year.

“My grandparents were of a different generation,” the Prince of Wales, 43, said. “I think when we were younger, it was harder to have that very close relationship because it was quite formal, but as they got older and I got older, it got warmer and warmer.”

He added, “I definitely think my relationship was best with my grandparents when they were more in their, sort of 80s — when they’d sort of, relaxed a little bit.”

After Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022, William called her “an extraordinary leader” and “a guiding light” for the family, writing, “I will honor her memory by supporting my father, The King, in every way I can.”

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Princess Kate has spoken about Queen Elizabeth, who was “Gan-Gan” to her three children, would support her, including one occasion where Kate attended a day of outings with the monarch without Prince William for the first time.

“The fact she took the time to make sure that I was happy and looked after for that particular occasion, which probably in everything that she’s doing is a very small element, it shows just how caring she is really,” Kate once said.

Prince William and Princess Kate have spent much of the last few weeks out of the public eye while their children are out of school on Easter break. The couple stepped out with Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, to celebrate Easter with the royals at a church service, then scaled down their royal duties to spend time as a family during the school vacation.

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s birth with a special edition of PEOPLE featuring stories about her life and legacy, on sale now.