It was a star-studded evening for some of the biggest names in Hollywood but all eyes were on the Princess of Wales as she joined Prince William for a charity film screening on Tuesday night.
Catherine, 44, was resplendent in a flowing purple gown by Jenny Packham as she made her grand entrance in Leicester Square for the Royal Film Performance 2026 world premiere of Digger, the hotly anticipated film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring Tom Cruise. The event was held in support of the Film and TV Charity, which supports people working in the industry with everything from mental wellbeing to financial help.
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For the occasion, the Princess turned to Packham, one of her most trusted designers who has dressed Her Royal Highness for high-profile evenings including the Royal Variety Performance, the BAFTA awards and a string of state banquets. The sweeping silhouette featured voluminous sleeves, a nipped-in waist and a plunging, deep-V neckline that perfectly framed the rare piece that dazzled on her décolletage.
For adorning the Princess of Wales' neck was a show-stopping amethyst necklace that was given to the Queen Mother as a wedding present in 1923 and is believed to have only been seen twice in public in the century since. The glamorous sautoir features a dramatic heart-shaped amethyst, suspended on three rows of pearls, interspersed with oval amethysts with a diamond surround. The rich purple colour of the stone perfectly complimented the regal hue of Her Royal Highness' gown.
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The heirloom necklace was reportedly originally owned by Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward VII and mother of George V. In 1923, it was presented to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (the future Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mother) on her wedding to the Duke of York (later King George VI). While some jewels from this era have remained in frequent rotation in the wardrobes of generations of royal women, the striking amethyst necklace lay largely forgotten for almost a century.
That was until 2012 when Queen Camilla (then Duchess of Cornwall) wore the piece to another red carpet moment: the London premiere of Skyfall. Like Catherine, Camilla chose the necklace as a masterly, monochromatic finishing touch to an all-purple ensemble, pairing the pearl-and-amethyst confection with a sumptuous velvet gown.
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There are a number of other amethysts in the royal collection – including the ‘Kent Amethysts’, a stunning, diamond-bordered suite most recently worn by Queen Camilla on the state visit to the US. However, the Princess of Wales chose to forgo co-ordinating earrings and instead opted for heirloom earrings that belonged to Princess Diana.
Each earring features a round, diamond stud from which is suspended an additional round diamond, a diamond-set bell cap and a large, pearl drop, making them a truly statement piece. Princess Diana was given the earrings by Collingwood, a jewellery firm often favoured by the Spencers, which lent gems to the young Diana while she was engaged to the then Prince Charles.
When Diana posed for a portrait session with Lord Snowdon, Princess Margaret's photographer husband, during her engagement, Collingwood lent her an elaborate diamond necklace and matching earrings. Reportedly, the jewellers wanted to gift the two pieces to Diana as a wedding gift, but the Palace cautioned that the set would be considered too extravagant. Instead, they gave her a pair of pearl and diamond earrings.
Diana made her debut in the pearls at a dinner held in honour of King Khalid of Saudi Arabia at Claridge's in June 1981, several weeks before her wedding. They quickly became a mainstay in her jewellery collection and remained a favourite throughout her marriage. On grand state occasions, the Princess normally paired them with other pearl pieces, such as the Queen Mary Lover's Knot Tiara.
The current Princess of Wales is just as fond of the Collingwood earrings as her late mother-in-law was. She has been spotted wearing them on a number of occasions, including to the annual Festival of Remembrance in 2024, for a service of thanksgiving to commemorate VE Day last year, and to welcome President Macron of France and his wife, Brigitte, for their official state visit to Britain in July.
The decision to wear a pair of earrings so closely associated with Diana has been read by some as a loaded gesture given the current tensions between King Charles III and his former brother-in-law, Earl Spencer, whose bombshell memoir has levelled shocking claims at His Majesty.
Demonstrating their unfailing poise and professionalism, Prince William and the Princess of Wales brushed aside any strain to put on their best Hollywood-worthy glamour for an evening with the stars.
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