Meghan Markle paid tribute to the Queen with a pair of gifted pearl and diamond earrings

Following Buckingham Palace's announcement that Queen Elizabeth II passed away on Thursday 8th September, the UK has been in an official period of mourning.

Over the last ten days, there have been a number of services to honour the monarch and processions have taken place in Edinburgh and London.

Thousands of members of the public lined the streets of London last week and over the weekend to pay their respects to the late monarch as she lay in state at Westminster Hall, with the queue reportedly lasting eleven hours. The Queen's four children, King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, united for the Vigil of the Princes on Friday evening, while Her Majesty's eight grandchildren - Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, Zara Tindall, Peter Philips, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn - gathered for an emotional silent vigil on Saturday evening.

The Queen's state funeral started at 11am this morning, with 2,000 attendees present - including key political figures and royals from across the globe - joining the members of the royal family as they mourn the loss of the longest serving monarch in British history.

King Charles III and the Queen Consort, Camilla, lead a procession into Westminster Abbey, followed by Prince William, Kate Middleton and their two eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

The Princess of Wales honoured the Queen by wearing an historical four-stranded pearl necklace which has been worn by the late Princess Diana.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also walked in the procession, with Meghan Markle paying tribute to the late Queen by wearing a very special pair of gifted earrings.

queen elizabeth ii meghan markle 974106742 — Credit: Jeff J Mitchell / Getty

The Queen gave Meghan a pair of pearl and diamond drop earrings in 2018 ahead of their first public outing together, and they reportedly came from her personal collection.

The Duchess also wore the sentimental jewellery last week when the Queen's coffin was moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall.

Our thoughts are with the Royal Family at this difficult time.

Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.