The Special Meaning Behind Kate Middleton's Bee and Honeycomb Earrings Worn in Manchester

Kate and Prince William traveled to the U.K. city to honor the victims of the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande concert five years ago

Kate Middleton. Photo: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock

Kate Middleton selected a meaningful pair of earrings for her visit with Prince William to Manchester to pay tribute to the victims of the Manchester Arena terrorist attack five years ago.

The royal accessorized her Michael Kors outfit with gold earrings that resembled a honeycomb with a bee charm. The worker bee has been one of the most well-known symbols of Manchester for over 150 years and is part of the Manchester City Council's coat of arms, denoting "Mancunians" hard work ethic and how the city is a hive of activity, according to the city.

Following the 2017 terrorist attack during an Ariana Grande concert that killed 22 and injured hundred, the bee became a symbol of the city's unity against hate and terrorism. It was used to show solidarity through social media, graffiti and other art around the city. In fact, an estimated 10,000 people chose to get bee tattoos in the aftermath of the bombing as part of a fundraising initiative to help victims.

Kate Middleton and Prince William. Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images

While meeting with members of the community on Tuesday, Kate and William stopped and chatted with a 7-year-old Beaver Scout named Archie and his uncle Andy Farrell, who's the county commissioner for the Scouts.

"We were talking about bees as she has started to keep bees. She noticed some of the flowers in the memorial garden were the kinds that specifically attract bees. The Duchess said she was wearing bee earrings in tribute to us. And we gave her a bouquet with myrtle and Sweet William in tribute to them," Farrell tells PEOPLE.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge speak to Archie McWilliams, 7, from the First Longford Scout Group in Stretford, and his uncle Greater Manchester West Scouts' County Commissioner Andy Farrell. Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images

The Duchess of Cambridge knows a thing or two about bees. She and her brother James Middleton share the hobby of beekeeping. During an outing last year, Kate brought some homemade honey as a treat for a group of schoolchildren.

Kate, 40, is always very intentional about her style choices, from honoring different countries she visits with her outfit color to wearing jewelry that send messages of support.

JON SUPER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

For example, when the Duchess of Cambridge attended the Commonwealth Day Service in March, she wore the same earrings and necklace that she wore in October 2020 to meet Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife, Olena Zelensky, as they continued to defend against Russia's ongoing invasion of the country.

During the couple's outing on Tuesday, Prince William, 39, made an emotional speech, in which he recalled traveling to Manchester following the attack in 2017 to talk to the community and attend a service of commemoration at the cathedral.

"I remember only too well the shock and grief on the faces of those I met when I visited Manchester in the days following the atrocity," he said. "And the rawness of emotion at the Commemoration Service, held at your Cathedral just here, a year later. Five years on I know that the pain and the trauma felt by many, has not gone away."

Kate Middleton and Prince William. JON SUPER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Prince William added, "As someone who lives with his own grief, I also know that what often matters most to the bereaved is that those we have lost are not forgotten. There is comfort in remembering. In acknowledging that, while taken horribly soon, they lived. They changed our lives. They were loved and they are loved. It is why memorials such as the Glade of Light are so important. Why Catherine and I so wanted to be amongst you today."

Kate laid a bouquet of flowers — made up of forget-me-nots, blue delphiniums, white lisianthus, white roses and white stocks — in honor of the victims before they joined a private reception inside Manchester Cathedral to meet with some of the bereaved families and the members of the emergency services who rushed to the scene of the atrocity.

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The Glade of Light, which was chosen following an international competition, has been open to the public since January. In addition to the names of the victims set in bronze on the halo design, personalized memory capsules containing mementos provided by loved ones have been embedded within the stone. Designed to be a living memorial, the Glade of Light also provides tranquil garden space for remembrance and reflection.