Kate Middleton debuted Princess Diana's diamond and pearl earrings on the BAFTA red carpet

(Image credit: 2019 Mark Cuthbert)

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge just walked the BAFTAs red carpet, and of course, while Prince William looked dapper in a black tuxedo and bow tie, all eyes were on Kate.

She turned heads in an almost white one-shoulder gown with ruffle shoulder detail by Alexander McQueen, which we couldn't help but compare to her actual wedding dress by the same designer.

It was just the right amount of ballgown, with a slightly more modern touch than you might expect.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

However, it wasn't so much the dress that got everyone talking as her jewellery, and more specifically her earrings, which belonged to Princess Diana and haven't been seen since her death.

They consist of a single large pearl, dangling from a diamond cluster in an ornate shape.

We haven't seen the Duchess wear these until tonight, however Princess Diana wore them loads and they were considered to be one of her favourites.

princess diana fashion brands

Photo: Rex

Made of South Sea pearls, she debuted them at the Coronation Banquet of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko of Japan in November 1990. She subsequently wore them to her 1991 visit to Pakistan, and several other benefits.

Princess Diana Necklace Auction

It's rather poignant that Kate wore them tonight, as the last time Princess Diana wore them (without the pearl earring) was to attend a performance of Swan Lake, in 1997, at the Royal Albert Hall, which is of course where the BAFTAs take place.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.