How Kate Middleton's recent jewellery may be a show of support for Ukraine

(Image credit: Getty / Max Mumby/Indigo / Contributor)

Prince William and Kate Middleton have previously voiced their support for Ukraine

Kate Middleton was a vision in cerulean as she attended a Commonwealth Day Service on Monday, wearing a crisp coat dress by Catherine Walker and a velvet pillbox hat. As she and members of the Royal Family gathered for the celebration, her choice of jewellery appeared to be a subtle statement of support for Ukraine amidst the Russian invasion.

Her matching sapphire earrings and necklace may be tame choices for the Royal Family – for whom diamond tiaras and dazzling pendants are par for the course – but they seemed to have a meaningful message behind them. According to People, her sapphire jewels are the exact same set Kate wore when she met with Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelensky in 2020.

At the time, Prince William and Kate both hosted the couple at Buckingham Palace where they were photographed sitting in one of its crimson rooms. In pictures of the occasion, Middleton was seen wearing another blue belted dress and the jewellery set as she chatted with Zelensky and his wife.

While the significance of the jewellery set has not been confirmed by official sources, the Royal Family has both openly and subtly supported Ukraine amidst the conflict. Referencing their 2020 meeting, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge addressed the Ukrainian people and Zelensky at the end of the February.

Calling their initial meeting with Zelensky and the First Lady of Ukraine a “privilege,” they wrote, “Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine’s people as they bravely fight for the future.”

They signed the message W & C, adding a Ukrainian flag emoji to their tweet. Another video posted to Twitter last week also showed the couple visiting British organisations supporting Ukrainians amid the conflict. Zelensky responded to the couple’s sentiments that he and the First Lady were “grateful” for their support.

While the Queen rarely makes public political statements, some interpreted a recent photograph with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a symbol of support for Ukraine. While most of the focus was on Trudeau and the Queen as she made him laugh, a bouquet of blue and yellow flowers - the same colours on the Ukrainian flag – caught the internet’s attention.

Megan is a freelance journalist who covers entertainment and all things lifestyle, with a particular passion for fashion, beauty, travel and Keanu Reeves stories. She has previously worked on staff for titles including Marie Claire UK, CNN Style and The Evening Standard and has written for titles such as Bustle UK, Wallpaper*, Forbes and Hong Kong Tatler. She splits her time between London and her hometown Hong Kong, where she currently lives with the love of her life - an elderly dog named Poppy - and her husband.