Kate Middleton Borrowed a Priceless Necklace from the Queen

Alexandra Macon

Kate Middleton
Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton is reportedly in the midst of a royal makeover, and last night, the rumor seemed to gain even more traction when the Duchess of Cambridge left Princes George and William at home and stepped out for her first official engagement of 2014 in a blue Jenny Packham dress-accented with a showstopping diamond-drop statement necklace on loan from the Queen-to attend a gala at the National Portrait Gallery in London last night.

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The stunning piece of jewelry was given to the Queen as a wedding gift from Nizam of Hyderabad, then King of the former Hyderabad state of India, and bolsters claims that Kate's overall wardrobe is being overhauled with the help of Her Majesty's most trusted staff member, her personal dresser, Angela Kelly.

Kelly has served as the Queen's personal assistant and senior dresser since 1993. She's known for researching the venues of upcoming royal visits as well as foreign cultures and the significance of different colors in order to create perfectly appropriate looks befitting a monarch. She's said to have been charged with making Kate's hemlines longer and looks more formal in order to emphasize the Duchess's status and avoid the possibility of any kind of wardrobe malfunction.

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Despite the stricter fashion direction, one thing's for sure: We're anxiously anticipating seeing the new look in all its royal glory on her upcoming tour of Australia this spring. In the meantime, we pulled ten statement necklaces to buy now that are in the spirit of the Duchess's borrowed bijous. To see them, click through the slideshow above.

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