The Duchess of Sussex was visiting a local school with Prince Harry to promote social and emotional wellbeing among young children – and chose a very fitting set of jewellery for the trip
It’s been a whirlwind tour of Colombia for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. From salsa dancing to Spanish speeches and heartwarming updates on Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, the Sussexes have found time to relax while representing the Archewell Foundation in the South American country. While the debate rumbles on as to whether or not this trip can be considered an official royal visit, Meghan has used her sartorial choices to subtly pay tribute to her mother-in-law, the late Princess Diana.
While meeting students and teachers at the Colegio La Giralda school in Santa Fe on the second day of their Colombia tour, Prince Harry and Meghan advocated for supporting the emotional and social health of children, as part of the couple’s ongoing project regarding online safety awareness in younger years. And as Meghan stepped out in the Santa Fe sun, her choice of jewellery was a fitting nod to the late Princess of Wales. Royal watchers noticed that The Duchess of Sussex donned a pair of gold butterfly stud earrings known to be a favourite of Diana’s.
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The Duchess of Sussex embraces kindergarten students during an engagement at Colegio La Giralda school
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The tribute to Prince Harry’s mother was especially apt for the day’s activities. Princess Diana worked as a nursery teacher before she married the then Prince Charles, looking after the children at Young England Kindergarten in Pimlico until 1981. Her royal wedding meant that the 20-year-old was unable to keep her job, but her love of working with children remained. ‘I absolutely adore children, that’s really why,’ she told press at the time, ‘I just love children.’
The Princess wore these butterfly earrings on countless occasions, most notably a royal visit to Canada with Charles in 1983. It was a difficult trip for Diana, who briefly fainted while touring the pavilions at Expo ‘86. The Princess lay on the floor for several minutes before being assisted to the back of the building to recover. Governor George Deukmejian, who was accompanying the royal couple, told reporters that ‘we’re certainly sorry that she took ill and didn’t feel well, but we are delighted that it does not appear to be anything serious and that she was able to leave unassisted.’ He adamant that Diana ‘fainted very gracefully’. After her death, the Princess would bequeath her jewellery collection to William and Harry, with the hope that they, or their wives, might make good use of the priceless pieces later in their lives.
And with Meghan Markle’s choice to wear Diana’s butterfly stud earrings on this personal trip to Colombia, it’s clear the Princess’s wish has been fulfilled. It’s not the first time that the Duchess of Sussex has worn the earrings: she selected the pair during an official engagement in Australia in 2018, her first outing following the announcement that she was pregnant with Prince Archie.
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Diana, Princess of Wales during a trip to Canada on May 3, 1986
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Now, Meghan has chosen to channel Diana during a trip that would be especially close to Diana’s heart. Enjoying a day with the kindergarten students at Colegio La Giralda, the Sussexes joined in with puzzles and showcased their own Spanish speaking talents, greeting the children and asking them their names before singing songs and receiving gifts of handwritten notes. Meghan learnt Spanish in Argentina while interning at the US Embassy. People recalls her 2020 trip to Los Angeles, when she effortlessly switched between English and Spanish; a local activist called the moment ‘a revelation’.
During the rest of the school visit, the couple visited a gym dedicated to mental and emotional wellbeing, as well as an outdoor classroom, where trees were planted to commemorate their visit. Children in national dress performed welcome dances, and Meghan and Harry were shown student artwork in the school’s ‘memory museum’.
The Duchess made a heartwarming reference to Prince Archie while at the school in Colombia, telling one student that ‘you’re the same age as my son!’ The young prince turned five years old in May, and his sister, Princess Lilibet, is three.
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Meghan Markle celebrated her daughter on the final day of the Colombian visit. Speaking (partly in Spanish) at an Afro Women and Power event, the Duchess of Sussex told the assembled crowd that Princess Lilibet had recently ‘found her voice’ and how proud both she and Prince Harry were of their young daughter. The couple were invited to Colombia by Vice President Francia Márquez, who praised their Archewell Foundation as ‘renowned for its global leadership in fostering a safer online environment.’
The Duchess of Sussex told one student that she was the same age as Meghan’s son, Prince Archie
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The visit has been labelled a ‘great triumph’ and a ‘surprising success’.
The butterfly earrings may not have been Meghan’s only gesture towards Princess Diana while in Colombia. Alongside her trademark Juste un Clou necklace, the Duchess was seen sporting a Cartier Tank Française watch throughout the trip, the same piece that was once owned by her late mother-in-law. Prince Harry reportedly gifted the golden watch to his wife back in 2020, after inheriting it from Princess Diana. We cannot know for certain whether this is the exact timepiece that the Princess once wore, as Meghan Markle bought a Tank Française herself during her pre-royal days, to celebrate the pickup of Suits season three.
I’ve always coveted the Cartier French Tank watch,’ she told Hello in 2015. ‘When I found out Suits had been picked up for our third season — which, at the time, felt like such a milestone — I totally splurged and bought the two-tone version.’ The piece has a custom engraving that reads ‘To M.M from M.M’, and Meghan has said that she intends to bequeath the piece to her daughter one day.
