For the British Museum outing, Lady Sarah nodded to her late aunt’s love of vibrant hues and stepped out in a pink collared top layered beneath an orange cardigan. Keeping things simple, Lady Sarah finished the look with an oversized navy coat.
But the mother-of-two added a sentimental touch to her outfit: a favourite pair of diamond starburst earrings that previously belonged to her mother Princess Margaret.
It’s not known exactly when Princess Margaret acquired the earrings, but they were likely a present for christening a ship, or received as part of an inheritance. She first wore them with the Cartier Halo Tiara for a royal tour of the Caribbean in 1955, and brought them out several more times in the 1960s. The diamond star brooch, meanwhile – which features small pearl accents – was worn by Princess Margaret for a longer period, right up until the turn of the century. She memorably had the piece pinned to her lapel in 2000 for a Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Lord Charteris of Amisfield, the former private secretary and lord-in-waiting to the Queen.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla led members of the royal family at the British Museum on Tuesday
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After the Princess’ death in 2002, many of her jewels were sold by her two children, Lady Sarah and David Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon, at auction in 2006. The collection, which included the tiara she wore for her wedding, comprised 800 pieces; queues formed outside Christie’s to view the sale, and interest spread worldwide. The auction raised nearly £10 million, which covered the millions owed in inheritance tax, and benefitted charities – including the Princess Margaret Fund at the Stroke Association, founded by her son.
Several pieces were retained by Lady Sarah, however, including the diamond star earrings and the co-ordinating brooch. They’re clearly much-loved additions to her jewellery box – indeed, she first wore the brooch just months after her mother’s death, at a party to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Since then, she has sported it on countless occasions, for funerals, parties and weddings, as well as Christmas Day church services with the rest of the royal family. The earrings are also a favourite for Lady Sarah Chatto, and have appeared both for daytime and evening engagements – including Royal Ascot and the annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.