The Real Reason Princess Diana Wore Two Watches

Princess Diana was the original fashion-forward princess (sorry, Kate!), and usually chose clothing and accessories that made very specific statements. According to Marie Claire UK, one of the late royal’s most avant-garde ~lewks~ was actually one of her most romantic.

In July 1981, while attending one of then-fiancé Prince Charles’ polo matches at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor, England, Lady Di was spotted wearing not one but two wristwatches. But she didn’t double up in order to keep track of multiple time zones—per the British news outlet, one of the watches was hers, while the other belonged to Charles, and she wore his timepiece “as a tribute to him and to wish him luck in the match.” So sweet!

And this wasn’t the only meaningful accessory of Diana’s. According to Marie Claire UK, rather than borrowing a tiara from Queen Elizabeth for her July 1981 wedding, she wore one belonging to her family (which had ties to British nobility) that her sister had previously worn at her own nuptials. Additionally, as Vanity Fair recently reported, Diana often wore a necklace engraved with Prince William’s name that Charles gave her shortly after the birth of their oldest child in June 1982. Continuing the royal tradition of sentimental jewelry, Princess Kate now wears a similar necklace that was inspired by Diana’s, according to Vanity Fair. The Merci Maman necklace, which was given to Kate by her sister, Pippa, in honor of the birth of Prince George in 2013, features a gold disk engraved with “George Alexander Louis,” a small gold heart engraved with a “W” for William, and a charm shaped like a baby boy.

Kate has also repeatedly paid homage to her mother-in-law by wearing one of Princess Diana’s favorite tiaras time and again. Most recently, the Duchess of Cambridge wore the diamond-and-pearl Cambridge Lover’s Knot tiara, which Di received as a wedding gift, to a state banquet in honor of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, who visited the British royals in July. According to People, the tiara was originally commissioned by Queen Mary in the early 1900s and features 19 arches and a total of 38 drop-shaped pearls. Thanks to Kate’s down-to-earth affinity for recycling outfits, we’re sure to see this bit of Diana’s legacy again very soon.