The Duchess of Cambridge: Traditions and Trends September 29, 2016INSPIRATIONSOff

On her recent tour of Canada, the Duchess of Cambridge once again displayed her knack for looking ultra chic and contemporary.  During her trip she carried on royal jewelry traditions and also sported the gems of modern-day designers.

When she landed in Victoria, British Columbia, she stepped off the plane wearing a jewel steeped in historical significance. The diamond-encrusted maple leaf brooch, which was pinned to her royal blue Jenny Packman dress, has not only been the national symbol of Canada since the 19^th century, but was also given as a gift to the Queen Mother by King George VI, to mark the state visit to Canada in 1939. The Queen Mother then wore it throughout the war years, on the shoulder of a suit or dress and/or hat.

She lent the brilliant and baguette-cut diamond platinum brooch to her daughter Princess Elizabeth before her coronation on her first trip to Canada in 1951. Queen Elizabeth II inherited the brooch in 2002 and passed on the custom by loaning  it to the Duchess of Cambridge on her visit to Canada in 2011 and again for this visit.

The Duchess wore the jewel again with an elegant red gown to an evening reception.

While the maple leaf brooch carries on a royal tradition, it was not the Duchess’ only go-to accessory. She also wore modern London-based jewelry designer Pippa Small’s 18K large gold kite earrings with two outfits during her visit to Bella Bella, British Columbia. Small, who was born in Montreal but grew up in the U.K. says it was both a personal and professional honor for the Duchess to wear her earrings in her home country.