Kate Middleton and Prince William have introduced a significant update that almost slipped by unnoticed. When the couple returned to the Royal Variety Performance for the first time in two years, they quietly debuted a new family emblem.
In the event brochure, the Royal Variety Charity expressed its gratitude to the Prince and Princess of Wales for attending Wednesday’s performance. Included in their message was the couple’s updated Conjugal Coat of Arms – the first revision since 2013.
The original Conjugal Coat of Arms was granted in 2013, two years after William and Catherine married in 2011. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, William inherited the title of the Prince of Wales from his father, King Charles III, prompting the need for an updated design.
The new Coat of Arms now includes the distinctive Prince of Wales feathers, a symbol linked to the title since the 14th century. It also incorporates the appropriate crowns that reflect William’s position, replacing the plain gold crowns used in the couple’s first joint coat of arms. Beneath the updated design is a ribbon displaying the Prince of Wales’s official motto, “Ich Dien,” meaning “I serve” in German.
Catherine’s shield continues to include elements representing the Middleton family. Her family’s Coat of Arms, originally granted to her father Michael Middleton before the 2011 wedding, is marked by three sprigs of oak. These symbolise the Princess of Wales and her siblings, Pippa and James, as well as the oak-filled region where they grew up.
For the Royal Variety Performance, Catherine wore an emerald velvet off-the-shoulder gown paired with the Greville Chandelier Earrings by Cartier. These earrings were once owned by Queen Elizabeth II and originally belonged to Dame Margaret Greville, who left a large portion of her jewellery collection to the Queen Mother. Crafted in platinum, the earrings were first designed in 1918 with two pear-shaped diamonds totalling 40 carats. They were later expanded with an additional twelve diamonds in 1922 and a further ten in 1929.