The Duchess of Sussex had the perfect choice of jewelry from her late mother-in-law’s collection as she and Prince Harry visited a kindergarten class

By
Janine Henni

Published on August 16, 2024 04:46PM EDT

Meghan Markle in Colombia on Aug. 16, 2024; Princess Diana in Canada on May 3, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of the Vice President’s Office; Georges De Keerle/Getty

Meghan Markle is honoring Princess Diana through fashion during her tour of Colombia.

On Aug. 16, the Duchess of Sussex appeared to wear the butterfly earrings that previously belonged to Prince Harry’s late mother on the second day of their trip to Colombia. Prince Harry, 39, and Meghan, 43, visited the Colegio La Giralda school in Santa Fe, where the Duchess of Sussex sparkled in the sentimental earrings as they interacted with a kindergarten class and toured the grounds.

The fun accessories were a perfect choice for the school visit, calling back to Princess Diana’s connection with children. The late Princess of Wales worked as a kindergarten teacher in London before she married the future King Charles in 1981, and her statue at Kensington Palace depicts her with three children to reflect her work to nurture young people around the world.

Meghan Markle visits a school in Colombia on Aug. 16, 2024.Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty

Every Time Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton Have Worn Princess Diana’s Jewelry

Princess Diana wore the stud butterfly earrings during a trip to Canada with the future King Charles in May 1986 when Prince Harry was a baby. A decade later, Diana died following a car accident in Paris at age 36 in 1997. Though she never got to meet the women her sons Prince William and Prince Harry would marry, Kate Middleton and Meghan are both known to honor Diana through style.

The Duchess of Sussex has had the butterfly earrings in her jewelry box for years and has worn them several times before.

She first sported the accessories in Australia in October 2018 for her first public appearance after Kensington Palace announced she was pregnant. Prince Harry and Meghan would welcome their first child, son Prince Archie, in May 2019.

Meghan Markle in Sydney, Australia on Oct. 16, 2018; Princess Diana in Canada on May 3, 1986. Phil Noble – Pool/Getty; Georges De Keerle/Getty
Meghan Markle’s Colombia Style: See Every Outfit the Duchess of Sussex Wore on Tour

Meghan reached for the butterfly earrings again when she resumed royal duties after a maternity break that fall, wearing them for the launch of a capsule clothing collection benefitting her patronage Smart Works in September 2019.

Other pieces of jewelry that previously belonged to Diana in Meghan’s collection include her aquamarine ring, diamond tennis bracelet and more. Prince Harry also memorably incorporated two diamonds from his mother’s personal collection in the tri-stone engagement ring he designed when he proposed to Meghan in 2017.

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Meghan Markle wears Princess Diana’s necklace in Abuja, Nigeria, on May 11, 2024 (left). Princess Diana on her arrival in Enugu, Nigeria on March 18, 1990 (right).Emmanuel Osodi/Anadolu via Getty; Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty

During their trip to Nigeria in May, PEOPLE exclusively revealed that the delicate cross necklace Meghan wore was a recent gift from Prince Harry and had belonged to Princess Diana.