At this point, it practically goes without saying that Kate Middleton is one of the biggest style icons in the world — royal or not. Following in the footsteps of Princess Diana, the Duchess of Cambridge has managed to fit into the expectations of what she should wear as a working royal while also adding her own spin to it, and practically creating her own genre of fashion in the process. Kate simply never misses, and that includes her accessories — especially her earrings.
Sure, when it comes to jewelry, Kate is mostly known for the diamond and sapphire engagement ring that Prince William gifted her from his late mother's collection, but Kate's sparklers go beyond that. Through the years, she's worn so many beautiful pairs of earrings (some flashy and some more casual), and she always manages to pick the perfect pair for the occasion and outfit.
Keep scrolling to see Kate's most gorgeous and unforgettable earrings. Some of these she wears over and over, and some we might never see ever again … but we're sure we want all of them to be part of our collection. If only we had Kate's budget!
Aquamarine Sparklers
Royal Ascot is one of the times the royals get all dressed up, and that goes for Kate, too. Here, she's wearing a pair of sparkly aquamarine earrings that match perfectly with her outfit (and her hat). They're subtle, but they're still so shiny. Kate has such good taste!
Worthy of a Tiara
Anytime we see Kate wear a tiara, we know it's serious business — and in this case, she made sure her earrings fit the occasion, too! Here, Kate was on her way to a state banquet in 2019, and her earrings are definitely the star of the show. She always looks good in blue!
St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day is always a big deal for the royals, including the parade with the Irish Guards that Kate was attending at the time this picture was taken. Every year, she always wears all green, and that includes her earrings. Green and gold is always such a classy combo!
A Cluster of Diamonds
For Commonwealth Day in 2019, Kate wore all red — a color that definitely always calls attention to her. She kept it a low-key with her earrings so they wouldn't overpower her look, but still … this is a pair of diamond cluster earrings we're talking about. Regardless, they're gonna be eye-catching!
Diamond Drop Earrings
Kate wore these diamond earrings during a royal engagement in Blackpool in 2019. They're just sparkly enough to give whatever she's wearing that extra boost, but still a bit inconspicuous for the times she's not trying to look too flashy. Either way, these are so pretty on her.
Diamonds & Pearls
When hitting the red carpet, Kate's going to pull out all the stops, and that even applies to her accessories. For the 2019 British Academy Film Awards, she wore these amazing pearl and diamond earrings, combining two of her favorite looks. Wow!
Going Glam
When it comes to glam, this is about as fancy as Kate gets — and for good reason. We're totally blown away by these massive, ultra sparkly earrings that she wore to Prince Charles' 70th birthday celebration in 2018, and we're loving everything about this look (including her highlighter!).
Stunning Sapphire
All shades of blue have always been Kate's colors, so it's no surprise that these earrings look amazing on her (and they perfectly match her outfit, too). The combination of diamond and sapphire is so pretty, and it definitely stands out without overpowering her more casual look.
Going Big
With these earrings, it looks like the Duchess of Cambridge took the statement "go big or go home" seriously! These earrings created an unforgettable look for Kate, and it worked perfectly with her cream-colored outfit. Business in her suit and hat, and party in her ears.
Family Heirlooms
Kate can be spotted in these earrings regularly, and it's no coincidence that they perfectly match her engagement ring, which was once Princess Diana's. These earrings were made from the same suite of jewelry that was given to Diana by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.
Super Simple
When Kate's hair is in a ponytail, we know she's doing something fun, and that seemed to be true when she attended the America's Cup World Series in 2016. Though she was going for a super casual look that day, these earrings were gorgeous and matched the chill vibe of her outfit at the same time.
When in India
Kate didn't just wear these royal blue earrings because they matched her outfit — it actually went a bit deeper than that. Here, Kate is in Mumbai in 2016, attending a Bollywood-themed gala, so of course she went with earrings that were made by Indian designer Amrapali for the occasion.
Diamond Drop
These diamond drop earrings are another pair that are heavily featured in Kate's jewelry rotation, and for good reason: They're pretty, they're versatile, and they go with everything. When it comes to Kate and fashion, she always goes for functionality. That applies to diamonds, too!
Stunning Hoops
A formal affair calls for a formal look, and Kate nailed this one! It's not too often we get to see the duchess in black, but when she attended the Royal Variety Performance in 2014, she killed it in this lace dress, and we can't stop looking at her sparkly hoop earrings, either.
Kate's Wedding Day Look
Kate and Will's royal wedding was back in 2011, but we'll never be able to stop thinking about Kate's incredible wedding look, and that goes for her accessories, too. These earrings are too pretty, and they added to her impressive dress without taking away from it at all.
A Statement Piece
We've always loved the sparkly emerald dress that Kate wore to a reception during her trip to Pakistan with Will in 2019, but we love her earrings even more. These are much larger than anything she normally wears, which is why it feels special, and the amber color complements the green so well.
The 2020 BAFTAs
Another year, another BAFTAs look … and another opportunity to feel jealous of Kate's earring collection! She wore a gold and white dress on the red carpet in 2020, and these dangly earrings totally completed her look. If she's gonna wear an updo, she's gotta make sure the earrings look good!
An Everyday Look
This is one of Kate's simpler, more functional looks, and we're loving it. She's a busy working mom, and here, she's working on her early childhood education project and her royal engagements. She needs some non-fussy but still stunning earrings like these in her collection to pull out on days like this.
Pretty in Green
Aside from Kate's happy face in this photo, what our eyes are immediately drawn to are her earrings. Once again, she's working that green and gold combo … with a few diamonds thrown in for good measure. When it comes to accessories, Kate rarely misses!
Like a Chandelier
In 2019, Kate wore this look to the annual Royal Variety Performance, and though it was fun to see her in all black again, what was most striking were these earrings! Rose gold and pearl — what a combo! They also gave off major chandelier vibes that we are really loving.
Big Sparkle
Masks might be the latest fashion accessory that Kate has had to adapt to, but even though her mouth is hidden, she made sure that her earrings were still the best in the business. Who can even think about a face mask when they're looking at her sparkly, dangling earrings?
