The Duchess of Cambridge’s Royal Blue Sparkle in Belize

The Duke and Duchess arrived at Philip S. W Goldson International Airport in Belize City on Saturday. There, they were welcomed by government officials, and William received a military salute. Belize is a Commonwealth realm, and the Queen is the country’s head of state. The Cambridges are visiting as her official representatives.

From the airport, the Duke and Duchess headed to the Edward Laing Building in Belize City. There, they spent an hour meeting with Prime Minister Johnny Briceño and his wife, Rossana, who is also the nation’s Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children.

For her arrival in Belize, Kate wore a bright blue lace ensemble by Jenny Packham with coordinating accessories.

She also wore a suite of diamond and sapphire jewels that we’ve seen recently on another occasion.

Here’s a closer view of the earrings, which Kate has been wearing since 2011. These feature drops with faceted sapphires surrounded by a cluster of diamonds, set in gold and suspended from a small diamond stud.

And here’s a close-up view of the matching necklace, which features a pair of faceted sapphire and diamond clusters, connected by a single diamond brilliant, suspended from a thin gold chain.

Though Kate has been wearing the earrings for more than a decade, the necklace hasn’t been seen in public until much more recently. She first wore the necklace and earrings together in front of cameras in October 2020, for an audience with President and Mrs. Zelensky of Ukraine at Buckingham Palace in London.

And a week ago, she wore the set again for the annual Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London. Many, including me, surmised that the second wearing of the set was another signal of support for the Ukrainian people.

And now we’ve got a third wearing for the set from the first engagements of this week’s Caribbean royal tour. You’ll often see royal commentators, including those writing for major publications, stating that these sapphires belonged to the late Diana, Princess of Wales. I disagree with that conclusion, and you can read my argument about their provenance here.

On Sunday, the first full day of the tour, William and Kate headed south, visiting locations in Indian Creek and Hopkins.

In Indian Creek, they visited the Che’il Mayan Chocolate Factory, a family-run cacao farm. The visit gave the Cambridges the chance to sample lots of the products produced at the factory. “I think our children will be very jealous,” Kate quipped.

Next, they traveled up the coast to Hopkins, where they learned about local culture—and did a bit of dancing—at a traditional Garifuna festival. While in Hopkins, they also met with local conservationists working to preserve the area’s unique marine environment.

For Sunday’s engagements, Kate wore a summery smocked Tory Burch dress with a vivid blue, red, and white floral print. She paired the dress with Stuart Weitzman wedge sandals and a straw clutch bag from Anya Hindmarch, both of which have been in her collection for several years.

Later, she changed into a pair of white espadrilles for a beach visit with conservationists.

For all of Sunday’s engagements, Kate wore a new pair of earrings from Sezane. These are the brand’s Charlie Earrings in their threaded blue color option.