Last Friday night at the David Foster Foundation's 40th anniversary gala in Victoria, British Columbia, Meghan appeared in an asymmetrical-neckline black dress by Greta Constantine, wearing a pair of sapphire and diamond butterfly earrings once belonging to Princess Diana. In a striking coincidence, Diana herself wore the exact same earrings during a visit to British Columbia back in 1986 — nearly the same location, separated by almost four decades. The earrings were originally part of a set with a matching butterfly-motif necklace. The last time Meghan wore them was in October 2018, during her and Prince Harry's first official tour to Australia as a married couple.
This isn't a one-off nostalgic choice. Over the past eight years — from her wedding reception, through her departure from royal duties, to the current As Ever era — Meghan has repeatedly worn pieces from Diana's jewelry collection, often at moments that seem deliberately chosen to draw a timeline across the years.
The Aquamarine Ring on Wedding Night
After the ceremony on May 19, 2018, Meghan and Harry headed to Frogmore House in Windsor for their evening reception. Meghan changed into a white off-shoulder gown by Stella McCartney, paired with Diana's aquamarine cocktail ring. The ring was a gift from Lucia Flecha de Lima and became part of Diana's collection in 1996. Diana herself wore it just months before her death, in June 1997, pairing it with a Catherine Walker cocktail dress at a pre-auction party ahead of the Christie's sale in London.
The Gold Bracelet Outside the Sydney Opera House
During the October 2018 Australia tour, Meghan greeted crowds outside the Sydney Opera House wearing an understated gold bracelet set with blue carbuncle stones — another piece from Diana's collection. The bracelet is reportedly a gift from Harry to Meghan, given to celebrate her first pregnancy. Diana also wore this bracelet during her lifetime, notably in May 1994 at the Alfred Dunhill store in Mayfair, paired with a set of pearl jewelry.
The Tennis Bracelet and Its Connection to the Engagement Ring
During her time as a senior royal, Meghan also wore Diana's diamond tennis bracelet, first debuting it at a state banquet in Fiji in October 2018, then again in March of the following year at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey while pregnant with Archie. Diana frequently wore this bracelet, believed to be by Cartier, including at a June 1997 American Red Cross gala in Washington, D.C. The bracelet is also thought to have influenced the design of Meghan's engagement ring, for which Harry incorporated diamonds from Diana's own collection.
One Watch, Two Generations
The gold Cartier Tank Française watch has become one of Meghan's signature accessories. Her most recent public appearance wearing it was at the screening of the documentary "Cookie Queens," which she and Harry produced, held at Camp Arnaz in Ojai, California. She also wore it at the Invictus Games in The Hague in April 2022, paired with an all-white suit. Diana wore the very same watch during her lifetime, including during a visit to the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir temple in Neasden, London, in June 1997.
Five pieces, spanning different years and occasions, but together they trace out what looks like a deliberately crafted timeline — and the overlap in British Columbia with the butterfly earrings may be the most striking coincidence of them all.
