• Kate, Princess of Wales, left, wearing Queen Elizabeth II's Bahraini pearl earrings. She first wore them in public while attending the Remembrance Sunday ceremony with Camilla, Queen Consort in November 2016. AFP
    Kate, Princess of Wales, left, wearing Queen Elizabeth II's Bahraini pearl earrings. She first wore them in public while attending the Remembrance Sunday ceremony with Camilla, Queen Consort in November 2016. AFP
  • The following year, she borrowed the earrings to attend Royal Ascot in June. Reuters
    The following year, she borrowed the earrings to attend Royal Ascot in June. Reuters
  • In August 2018 she wore the earrings to attend church with Queen Elizabeth. Photo: Invicta Kent Media / Shutterstock
    In August 2018 she wore the earrings to attend church with Queen Elizabeth. Photo: Invicta Kent Media / Shutterstock
  • Camilla, left, and Kate, who is wearing the pearl earrings, take part in the Trooping the Colour in June 2019. Reuters
    Camilla, left, and Kate, who is wearing the pearl earrings, take part in the Trooping the Colour in June 2019. Reuters
  • The queen and Kate attend the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in London in 2019. AFP
    The queen and Kate attend the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in London in 2019. AFP
  • Pearls are worn as part of royal mourning fashion protocol. Kate borrowed the queen's pearl earrings for the funeral of Prince Philip in April last year. Reuters
    Pearls are worn as part of royal mourning fashion protocol. Kate borrowed the queen's pearl earrings for the funeral of Prince Philip in April last year. Reuters
  • Kate wore them in June to attend the National Service of Thanksgiving held at St Paul's Cathedral during the queen's platinum jubilee celebrations. Reuters
    Kate wore them in June to attend the National Service of Thanksgiving held at St Paul's Cathedral during the queen's platinum jubilee celebrations. Reuters
  • Kate also wore the earrings for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth. Reuters
    Kate also wore the earrings for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth. Reuters
  • Kate wore the earrings on Saturday to attend the Festival of Remembrance with William, Prince of Wales. AFP
    Kate wore the earrings on Saturday to attend the Festival of Remembrance with William, Prince of Wales. AFP

Every time Kate, Princess of Wales has worn Bahraini pearl earrings to public engagements


Farah Andrews
  • English
  • Arabic

The Princess of Wales is known for making considered style choices, honouring people and places through her sartorial choices. The Festival of Remembrance on Saturday was no exception.

The British royal chose to wear the Bahrain Pearl and Diamond Drop Earrings, which are made with two Bahraini pearls and were loaned to her by Queen Elizabeth II in the past.

The festival is dedicated to all those who have "served and sacrificed from Britain and the Commonwealth". This year, the memory of the queen was also celebrated.

Kate, Princess of Wales and William, Prince of Wales attend the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance. AFP
Kate, Princess of Wales and William, Prince of Wales attend the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance. AFP

The earrings the princess chose to wear each feature one brilliant-cut round diamond, four small round diamonds and three baguette-cut diamonds, with the Bahraini pearl dangling below. The pearls are from a selection of seven given to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in a shell for their wedding in 1947 by Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain.

Significantly, Kate wore the earrings to both the queen's funeral in September and to Prince Philip's in April last year. For the festival, she also chose to wear the same four-row Japanese pearl choker necklace, also from the royal collection, that she wore to both funerals.

She has worn the earrings on a several occasions since 2016, when she was first lent them by the queen to wear on Remembrance Sunday. The year before, the queen wore the pieces to attend the Festival of Remembrance.

Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Bahrani pearl earrings, with Prince William at the annual Festival of Remembrance in November 2015. Reuters
Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Bahrani pearl earrings, with Prince William at the annual Festival of Remembrance in November 2015. Reuters

In the years since, the Princess of Wales, then Duchess of Cambridge, has worn the earrings to attend Royal Ascot in 2017, to church in Balmoral in the summer of 2018 and for the 2019 Trooping the Colour.

Aside from periods of mourning and funerals, Remembrance Sunday is the only time British royals typically will wear black outfits. As pearls are worn as mourning jewellery in British royal custom, she wore them in later in 2019 on Remembrance Sunday.

The practice of wearing pearls as mourning jewellery dates back to Queen Victoria, who only wore pearl and black jewellery after the death of her husband, Prince Albert, in 1861.

  • Diana, Princess of Wales wore a necklace with a single white pearl at the funeral of Princess Grace of Monaco in 1982. Getty
    Diana, Princess of Wales wore a necklace with a single white pearl at the funeral of Princess Grace of Monaco in 1982. Getty
  • Catherine, now Princess of Wales, wearing a four-strand pearl necklace at the funeral of Prince Philip in 2021. AFP
    Catherine, now Princess of Wales, wearing a four-strand pearl necklace at the funeral of Prince Philip in 2021. AFP
  • Former British prime ministers Theresa May and John Major, with Patricia Janet Scotland, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, arrive ahead of the proclamation of King Charles III. Both May and Scotland wore pearls for the ceremony. AFP
    Former British prime ministers Theresa May and John Major, with Patricia Janet Scotland, Baroness Scotland of Asthal, arrive ahead of the proclamation of King Charles III. Both May and Scotland wore pearls for the ceremony. AFP
  • For the funeral service of the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII on June 3, 1972 at Windsor Chapel, Queen Elizabeth II (left) is seen wearing pearls, as is the Duchess of Windsor and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Getty Images
    For the funeral service of the Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII on June 3, 1972 at Windsor Chapel, Queen Elizabeth II (left) is seen wearing pearls, as is the Duchess of Windsor and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Getty Images
  • Queen Victoria mourned the death of her husband Prince Albert for almost 40 years, until her death in 1901. She established the tradition of wearing pearls as a sign of mourning. Getty Images
    Queen Victoria mourned the death of her husband Prince Albert for almost 40 years, until her death in 1901. She established the tradition of wearing pearls as a sign of mourning. Getty Images
  • In pearl earrings, Camilla, Queen Consort, greets members of the crowd along the Mall, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 10, 2022. AFP
    In pearl earrings, Camilla, Queen Consort, greets members of the crowd along the Mall, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 10, 2022. AFP
  • Catherine, Princess of Wales, wears pearl earrings as she and other Royals view the flowers left in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. AFP
    Catherine, Princess of Wales, wears pearl earrings as she and other Royals view the flowers left in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. AFP
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 325bhp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh359,000

On sale: now 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

Explainer: Tanween Design Programme

Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.

The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.

It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.

The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.

Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
SPEC%20SHEET
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M2%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206%2C%20Bluetooth%205.0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%2C%20midnight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%20or%2035W%20dual-port%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C999%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X

Price, as tested: Dh84,000

Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo

Transmission: Six-speed auto

Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm

Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km

Most%20ODI%20hundreds
%3Cp%3E49%20-%20Sachin%20Tendulkar%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E47%20-%20Virat%20Kohli%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E31%20-%20Rohit%20Sharma%2C%20India%0D%3Cbr%3E30%20-%20Ricky%20Ponting%2C%20Australia%2FICC%0D%3Cbr%3E28%20-%20Sanath%20Jayasuriya%2C%20Sri%20Lanka%2FAsia%0D%3Cbr%3E27%20-%20Hashim%20Amla%2C%20South%20Africa%0D%3Cbr%3E25%20-%20AB%20de%20Villiers%2C%20South%20Africa%2FAfrica%0D%3Cbr%3E25%20-%20Chris%20Gayle%2C%20West%20Indies%2FICC%0D%3Cbr%3E25%20-%20Kumar%20Sangakkara%2C%20Sri%20Lanka%2FICC%2FAsia%0D%3Cbr%3E22%20-%20Sourav%20Ganguly%2C%20India%2FAsia%0D%3Cbr%3E22%20-%20Tillakaratne%20Dilshan%2C%20Sri%20Lanka%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: November 15, 2022, 2:19 PM