Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so it's no surprise that Google searches for “heart necklaces” have surged 64% just in the past week, according to Glimpse data. Even with the romantic holiday looming, heart jewelry is one of the biggest trends for 2026, and it seems even the royals can’t resist.
Princess Kate recently wore her trendiest piece of jewelry to date, stepping out in a statement necklace featuring an oversized, diamond-studded heart. Former royal butler Grant Harrold, speaking on behalf of Slots Temple, feels that this trendy accessory is more true to Princess Kate’s personal style. “While she of course wears the more traditional royal jewels at formal occasions, her own tastes seem to be more modern,” he said. “The piece is in keeping with Kate’s tastes and style.”
Heart-shaped jewelry is the must-have style of the year, and Harrold thinks there is a sentimental reason. “We’re also seeing an increase in pieces with significant meanings, like engravings or birthstones,” he said, adding “there is a real emotional significance to many of [these styles].” It isn’t just Princess Kate leaning into sappy jewelry. “Charles was an early adopter of this trend as he was once spotted wearing cufflinks engraved with two interlocking Cs, which was a loving nod to Camilla,” Harrold revealed. “It was a rare display of personal sentiment from a royal, and it seems to have inspired others.”
Justin Daughters, Managing Director at Berganza, explains that there is a long history of heart-shaped designs and their symbolism. “Historically, heart-shaped jewelry has always carried significance beyond romance,” he said. From a historical perspective, Daughters notes that “in antique jewelry, hearts symbolised loyalty, remembrance and personal bonds, often worn close to the body as private tokens rather than overt displays.” Speaking of Princess Kate’s heart pendant, he says “Kate’s choice reflects that tradition—romantic, yes, but also restrained and intentional.”
Princess Kate’s oversized heart pendant isn’t the only royal heart-shaped necklace making headlines. The British Museum has completed a fundraising campaign to acquire the Tudor Heart, a large 24-karat gold necklace that features romantic symbols from Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon’s marriage. Nicholas Cullinan, the director of the British Museum, said the public interest in the necklace “shows the power of history to spark the imagination and why objects like the Tudor Heart should be in a museum”.
“This beautiful survivor tells us about a piece of English history few of us knew, but in which we can all now share,” Cullinan said of the museum’s acquisition of the piece. The design features Tudor roses and a pomegranate tree, symbolic of Katherine of Aragon’s home country, Spain, along with an Old French inscription “tousiors,” meaning always.
While Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon’s love story did not last “tousiors,” the sentimental piece sparks emotion in the hearts of romantics centuries later. Today’s equivalent of the Tudor Heart is surely the Princess of Wales’s heart-shaped pendant, believed to be a gift from Prince William, with its own secret, romantic engraving.
