Princess of Wales Wears Garnet Birthstone Necklace with Red Alexander McQueen Suit

At Windsor Castle the Princess of Wales paired a delicate garnet birthstone necklace with a bold red Alexander McQueen suit and vintage pearl-cluster earrings as she welcomed England’s women’s rugby team, the Red Roses. Photographs captioned “Kate Middleton on January 15, 2026” show the pendant hovering just above the neckline of the tailored two-piece, a styling choice outlets linked to both her birth month and the team’s nickname.

Marieclaire identifies the pendant as the “Auree garnet birthstone necklace,” describing it as a 9-carat gold piece featuring a classic gold disc with a tiny round gemstone dangling in front. The Auree pendant was first publicly seen in June 2022 in a Platinum Jubilee baking video with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, and was next recorded publicly at Colchester Hospital’s wellbeing garden in July 2025 before the Windsor Castle appearance.

The garnet’s symbolic load was discussed explicitly in coverage. Tatler described the gem as Kate’s birthstone and wrote that the gem “is said to symbolise inner strength and healing - a fitting reflection of the Princess’s past few years, and one that features throughout her jewellery repertoire.” Marieclaire quoted the International Gem Society that garnets have long represented “love, friendship, light, and vitality,” while Woman & Home and Marieclaire cited Brilliant Earth’s line that “Throughout history, garnet has symbolized light, faith, and truth and has been used in various cultures for its perceived protective and healing properties.” Woman & Home also noted the etymology from Latin granatum, linking garnet’s deep red to pomegranate seeds.

The garnet pendant is part of a pattern in the Princess’s rotation of personalised pieces. Tatler observed that “you can never go wrong with a personal touch,” and stated, “Her garnet necklace has become a recent favourite for Catherine, who has already worn the piece twice this year.” Other garnet items have appeared at notable moments: heart-shaped garnet earrings surfaced during an Irish Guards training session in March 2023, with Tatler speculating they may have been a gift from Prince William; InStyle and other outlets note Kate wore garnet items on trips in February 2025 and in visits to Pontypridd, Wales earlier in 2025.

The Windsor Castle engagement carried personal resonance beyond style. InStyle placed the visit the day after she marked the first anniversary of her remission announcement from cancer on January 14, 2025 and noted Kate had turned 44 on January 9. During the visit a volunteer remarked that chemotherapy patients and families can be at hospital “for hours,” to which the Princess replied, “I know,” a moment captured in coverage of her interaction with volunteers.

From the Jubilee baking video in June 2022 through Colchester in July 2025 to Windsor Castle on January 15, 2026, the Auree garnet pendant has quietly reappeared as a consistent, personal piece in the Princess’s jewellery rotation, functioning as both a sartorial nod to the Red Roses and a discreet emblem linked in coverage to recovery and resilience.