The Surprising Person Who Stepped Out Wearing Princess Diana's Jewelry

If you've watched the fourth season of "The Crown," the Netflix drama that chronicles the lives of the British royal family, it's likely you've wondered if that tense lunch meeting between Princess Diana and Camilla Parker Bowles actually took place. Even if you only have minimal knowledge of the British monarchy, you are probably at least aware of the infamous affair that took place between Parker Bowles and Prince Charles while he was married to Princess Diana. 

Cosmopolitan reported that this tense lunch meeting actually did take place between Parker Bowles and Princess Diana. "It was during that meeting, arranged to coincide with Prince Charles's trip to Australia and New Zealand, that Diana became suspicious," royal biographer, Andrew Morton, wrote in his book "Diana: Her True Story—In Her Own Words." He continued, "Camilla kept asking if Diana was going to hunt when she moved to Highgrove. Nonplussed by such an odd question, Diana replied in the negative. The relief on Camilla's face was clear. Diana later realized that Camilla saw Charles's love of hunting as a conduit to maintaining her own relationship with him."

Later, Princess Diana confronted Parker Bowles about her affair with Prince Charles at a party. Two years after the couple separated, in 1994, Prince Charles admitted in an interview that he had been unfaithful to Princess Diana during their marriage. In 1996, they officially divorced, and in 2005, Prince Charles married Parker Bowles, per Brides.

Due to their tumultuous relationship, Princess Diana's jewelry might seem like an incredibly odd accessory for Camilla Parker Bowles to be wearing while out and about — but she went there. 

According to Geo News, Parker Bowles was spotted wearing a piece of jewelry that was once worn by Princess Diana during a public appearance. Not only that, Parker Bowles had the piece of jewelry, which was once a necklace, altered to be worn as a brooch. "This incredible brooch looks like it features around four carats of white diamonds, not to mention a stunning three-carat Cabochon green emerald pendant," jeweler Maxwell Stone told the outlet. "Although the brooch was once a necklace worn by Princess Diana, the alteration wouldn't have much effect on the value of the royal piece, especially if it was recently redesigned," he added. 

While the idea of Parker Bowles altering Princess Diana's jewelry might anger many of her fans, Showbiz CheatSheet reported that most of Princess Diana's jewelry collection was actually not her own. In fact, the vast majority of the jewelry worn by Princess Diana are royal family heirlooms passed down by the late Queen Mother. Thankfully, though, much of Princess Diana's jewelry was passed on to her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, who have since given the historic jewelry to their wives.