On what would have been Princess Diana’s 64th birthday, the resurfacing of a royal jewelry story has left many unsettled. A recent report by InStyle details how Queen Camilla—formerly the Duchess of Cornwall—refashioned a necklace once gifted to Diana into a brooch now valued at $137,000. While royal heirlooms have always changed hands, this transformation feels particularly jarring, especially given the history between the two women.

The necklace in question was no ordinary jewel. In 1981, upon her wedding to then-Prince Charles, Diana received the emerald pendant necklace from the Queen Mother. The piece carried royal lineage dating back to 1863 and was a visible symbol of Diana’s welcome into the royal family. She wore it prominently in Canada in 1991—a time when she was still seen as the glamorous future queen, despite growing cracks in her marriage.

After Diana’s tragic death in 1997, the necklace was returned to the royal collection. For over two decades, it remained unworn. Then, in 2019, Camilla emerged wearing it—no longer as a necklace, but as a brooch. The emerald pendant had been converted into a pin set with four carats of white diamonds and topped with ostrich feathers, the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales. The transformation may have been artful, but it wasn’t neutral.

Camilla and Diana’s strained history is well documented. Diana herself famously said, “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.” Charles and Camilla’s affair cast a shadow over Diana’s life, one she never fully escaped. While royal protocol permits the recycling of jewels, the choice to refashion something so intimately linked to Diana—especially by the woman who occupied such a controversial role in her life—strikes many as insensitive at best.

That this story reemerged on July 1 only heightens the discomfort. Diana is still remembered globally as the “People’s Princess”—a woman who broke with convention, connected with the public, and used her platform for causes ranging from AIDS awareness to landmine eradication. Her legacy is emotional and deeply personal for millions. Camilla’s brooch, however elegantly crafted, cannot be disentangled from this legacy.

For supporters of Diana, the brooch feels like an attempt to rewrite history. It reduces something once deeply personal into another item in Camilla’s growing collection of royal jewels. No public acknowledgment accompanied the piece’s reappearance. No tribute to Diana’s memory. Just quiet absorption into the wardrobe of the woman once seen as her rival.

Jewelry has always been symbolic in royal life. From Queen Elizabeth’s sapphire engagement ring to the tiaras worn by Kate Middleton, these pieces carry history, identity, and messaging. Camilla’s brooch is no exception. But instead of unifying, it divides.

What’s most striking isn’t the diamonds or emeralds—it’s the silence. There’s been no explanation from the palace about why this particular piece was transformed or what it signifies. Perhaps the intention was practical. Perhaps it was aesthetic. But for a public still mourning Diana, the decision to showcase the piece—without context or sensitivity—feels like a missed opportunity for grace.

At a time when the royal family is attempting to modernize and appeal to younger generations, moments like this show how tone-deaf such gestures can appear. Diana’s memory is not an accessory. It cannot be polished, pinned, or priced.

The monarchy may view its jewels as assets in a vault, but the people remember what they symbolized when worn by someone like Diana—someone who made them mean something more than lineage or power. On her birthday, Diana deserved remembrance, not repurposing.

At a time when Princess Diana should be honored for her grace, charity, and humanity, InStyle chose to celebrate a brooch. Not just any brooch—but one made from a necklace gifted to Diana by the Queen Mother, worn during her marriage, and returned after her untimely death.

By lauding Camilla’s refashioning of the jewel—especially on July 1st—InStyle not only erased context, it insulted the memory of the very woman who made that necklace iconic. This wasn’t just an editorial oversight. It was a deliberate choice to glorify wealth and status over empathy and memory.

On a day the world remembers Diana, InStyle sided with the crown that failed her. And that, for many, is the true tragedy behind the sparkle.