Meghan Sparkles in Fiji

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal tour has moved from Australia to Fiji, where a formal program on the first day of their visit meant some exciting jewel moments for royal watchers.

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As the couple stepped off the plane, Meghan wore two familiar pieces of jewelry, both gifts from members of the royal family.

 

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Her diamond and pearl earrings, a gift from the Queen, were first worn during her visit to Chester earlier this year.

 

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The diamond bracelet on her left wrist is also one we’ve seen before. The press reported on this occasion that the bracelet was a gift from the Prince of Wales.

 

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And indeed, it’s the same bracelet that Meghan wore for a garden party in honor of Charles’s 70th birthday at Buckingham Palace in May.

 

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Here’s another view of the bracelet from its earlier appearance at the garden party.

 

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As a part of the official welcome, the First Lady of Fiji, Sarote Faga Konrote, presented Meghan with a lovely multi-colored pearl necklace. It was an appropriate gift, as Fiji is known for its pearls.

 

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For the evening’s state dinner in Suva, Meghan changed into a dramatic Fiji blue gown and a different suite of jewels.

 

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The showstopper accessories for the evening were definitely these dramatic diamond earrings.

 

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Here’s another angle. The earrings definitely made a statement, but the palace wouldn’t tell us their provenance. All the press materials revealed was that the earrings were “borrowed.” Some journalists naturally speculated that the Queen was the source of the loan, but I’m skeptical of that. She’s got a lot of jewels to pass around, but there are definitely other possible sources.

 

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In fact, as I was examining the earrings, the only royal jewel that came to mind as a similar piece was this grand ruby and diamond necklace from the collection of the Duchess of Cornwall. You’ll note similarities in the shape of the diamonds and the way the jewels are set. Camilla wore the necklace in February 2015 for the Royal Film Performance of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

I should be clear: I’m not suggesting that the necklace was broken up to make these earrings, and I’m not saying that the earrings were definitely a loan from Camilla. But Camilla’s jewelry box is certainly large, and it wouldn’t surprise me if a necklace like this had more than one pair of coordinating earrings.

Ultimately — we just don’t know.

UPDATE: We later learned much more about these earrings, which were a wedding gift from the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. Read more about them here.

 

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The diamond bracelet comes from the collection of her late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales.