It was a grey Tuesday afternoon at the National Memorial Arboretum, the kind of day when the wind feels like memory itself — sharp, deliberate, and full of whispers. There, amidst the stillness of carved names and crimson poppies, the Princess of Wales arrived to honour the fallen at the annual Service of Remembrance — her first time representing the royal family at this event, and perhaps her most personal yet.
This year’s ceremony carried Catherine’s quiet fingerprints throughout. She commissioned a new poem, A Sonnet For Us All, written by Arji Manuelpillai, whose words, she explained, were meant to “shine a light on the bonds often hidden by conflict — the friendships that endure, the duty that binds generations.” In that choice alone, the Princess revealed her instinct for connection — her ability to make the formal feel human, and the ceremonial feel intimate.
Photo: Getty Images
Dressed in a Catherine Walker coat dress, one she’s worn to Remembrance events before, Catherine looked every inch the modern royal — dignified, restrained, and yet softly expressive. The frogged detailing echoed military uniform, while the tailored silhouette, modest but elegant, spoke of continuity — of a woman who understands that repetition, when done with purpose, becomes ritual.
Photo: Getty Images
She bowed her head in silence, laid a wreath with a handwritten note — “In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we will remember them” — and spent the afternoon speaking with veterans and their families. One moment stood out: her gentle mention that Prince George has taken a fascination with World War II model aircraft. It was a mother’s aside, but also a thread — linking past and future, remembrance and inheritance.
Photo: Getty Images
That thread shimmered again in her choice of jewellery. On her ears: a pair of ruby and diamond drop earrings by G Collins & Sons. Not chosen by chance. Rubies, the birthstone of July, are widely believed to symbolise protection, vitality, and love — but for Catherine, they carry an even more intimate meaning: they are a nod to Prince George, born in July 2013.
These earrings have made only two prior appearances — once during the 80th anniversary of VE Day in May, and again at Buckingham Palace to welcome the Trumps during their state visit in September. Each time, their presence has seemed deliberate, almost ceremonial — like punctuation marks in her ongoing dialogue between family and duty.
In wearing them to the Armistice Service, Catherine wasn’t simply dressing for remembrance; she was embodying it. The red of the rubies mirrored the poppy’s hue, while their symbolism — courage, sacrifice, devotion — echoed the day’s purpose.
Her son’s quiet growing presence in royal life adds another layer of meaning. At twelve, Prince George recently attended his first Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, marking a milestone that his father, Prince William, reached at the same age. And while speculation swirls about his possible move to Eton, his emerging public role suggests a familiar arc — the careful shaping of a future king.
Catherine, as ever, balances tradition with tenderness. Her fashion choices are never loud, but they always speak. And this time, they told a story of legacy — not of jewels and titles, but of love passed gently, like a torch, from one generation to the next.
