Kate Middleton Sports Princess of Wales Brooch (Worn by Princess Diana!) for the First Time

Kate Middleton's latest accessory reflects her new royal rank.

On Tuesday morning, the Princess of Wales, 40, accompanied her husband Prince William in welcoming South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the first meeting of his state visit to the U.K. The royal couple was the first to greet the world leader at London's Corinthia Hotel in their roles as next-in-line to the throne.

Kate popped in a plum coat dress with coordinating accessories, significantly sporting Princess Diana's Collingwood pearl drop earrings (which she's worn before) and a new piece in her jewelry box: the Princess of Wales Feather Brooch. Kate became the Princess of Wales following the accession of her father-in-law King Charles III in September, and Tuesday marks the first time she wore the brooch since receiving her new title.

The sparkling pin has a rich history. The piece was made as a wedding gift for Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863, whose husband King Edward VII was the Prince of Wales before becoming monarch. Its design is inspired by the Prince of Wales' badge, which features three feathers blooming out of a crown and has been linked to the title since the 14th century.

The brooch was passed down in the family, and like Princess Alexandra before her, Princess Diana received the Princess of Wales brooch as a wedding present from the Queen Mother when she married then-Prince Charles in 1981, The Sun reported.

Diana wore the piece as a necklace, sporting the feather pendant on a diamond-encrusted chain to the Royal Opera House in 1981 and during a tour of Austria in 1986.

Years later, Queen Camilla would pull the piece from the archives and refashion it to her taste. The Queen Consort, 75, had the statement pendant disconnected from the necklace and made into a pin, keeping the dangling emerald drop.

Though she was popularly known as the Duchess of Cornwall after marrying Charles in 2005, Camilla was also the Princess of Wales. She didn't use the title out of deference to Diana, who tragically died in 1997, but Camilla accessorized with the Princess of Wales Feather Brooch in 2006, 2012 and at the reception for the 50th anniversary of Charles' investiture as the Prince of Wales in 2019.

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Kate and Camilla are expected to wear tiaras for the first time in three years later on Tuesday. The royals will likely top their looks for the state banquet at Buckingham Palace honoring President Ramaphosa with dazzling diadems.