Pearls for the Princess of Wales to Celebrate the Windrush Generation

Prince William and Princess Catherine visited the Grange Pavilion on Cardiff on Tuesday. There, they chatted with four young Welsh schoolchildren, Akachi, Humzah, Ayla-May, and Mazin, who offered posies to the princess.

The royal visit to Cardiff was timed to coincide with the early days of Black History Month, which has been celebrated in Britain every October since 1987. At the Grange Pavilion, William and Kate met with representatives from the Windrush Cymru Elders. Race Council Cymru, an organization dedicated to promoting antiracism, justice, and integration in Wales, coordinates the Windrush Cymru Project, which collects and documents the stories and contributions of members of the Windrush generation in Wales.

William and Kate met with the Windrush Cymru Elders during their visit. In 1948, HMT Empire Windrush brought more than 1000 passengers from Jamaica to London, including hundreds of men and women who would go on to settle in Britain. The voyage has become an important symbolic moment in British history, and British Caribbean people who came to the United Kingdom in the years after World War II are often referred to as the “Windrush generation.”

The need for the preservation of stories and documents from members of the Windrush generation has become even more crucial in recent years, both because of the passing of older members of the generation and because of the challenges they have faced from hostile immigration policies that have threatened their livelihoods. (Google the 2018 Windrush scandal for more on that.)

During their time in Cardiff, William and Kate listened to the stories of members of the Windrush Cymru Elders, as well as those of representatives from Black History Cymru 365, a project that aims to extend the celebration of and education about Black History in Wales throughout the entire year, and from the Minority Ethnic Youth Forum for Wales, an advisory panel made up of young people ranging from the ages of 11 to 25.

Kate took up the invitation to join in a game of table tennis during the visit to the community center as well.

William and Kate also stopped by Fitzalan High School in Cardiff, where they met with students who shared about the projects they’ve been working on to mark Black History Month.

For the Cardiff trip, Kate wore a navy pinstriped trouser suit from Holland Cooper. The suit is a recent rewear, seen previously last week during William and Kate’s meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Kate’s pearl hoop earrings are also a recent rewear.

These are the Rosalia Earrings from Shyla Jewellery, a brand founded by the London-based designer Alice Blofeld. The earrings feature freshwater pearls set in gold-plated silver.

Kate wore the earrings in public for the first time last week during her visit to AW Hainsworth, a heritage textile mill in Yorkshire.

Kate’s other accessories on Tuesday were more familiar pieces: her engagement, wedding, and eternity rings, and her Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch.