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The Princess of Wales wearing the Issy Star earrings in Marlow© Getty

The heartbreaking story behind Princess Kate's earrings – and how she helped raise £10k for mental health charity

Designer Sophie McGown of EAR SASS has now named a pair of earrings in the royal's honour

Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
February 23, 2024
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The Princess of Wales's outfits are analysed every time she steps out, but on World Mental Health Day 2023 back in October, she chose her accessories with particular care.

Kate kept a promise as she donned a very special pair of star-shaped earrings given to her by a grieving mother at Maidenhead Rugby Club last June.

Sarah Renton's daughter, Issy Phipps, tragically took her own life at the age of 17 last April, having struggled with depression.

The teenager's cousin, Sophie McGown, owner of EAR SASS, created the pair of earrings in honour of her "shining star" Issy.

EAR SASS ISSY STAR EARRINGS
£5 of every sale of the Issy Star earrings is donated to Brave Mind

Sophie has been donating £5 from every pair of the Issy Star earrings, £25.50, that are sold to a wonderful mental health charity, Brave Mind.

The Kate Effect struck once again with sales soaring after the Princess' first outing in Birmingham last October and orders being shipped around the world. 

The Princess wore the Issy Star earrings for a second time just days later at a SportsAid mental fitness workshop in Marlow. In January, fundraising hit over £10,000 for Brave Mind, and since then, Sophie has created a special new pair of earrings,  £27, named in honour of Catherine, the Princess of Wales, which launched this week - and have already sold out!

EAR SASS Catherine earrings
Sophie has created the Catherine earrings in Kate's honour

During a very moving conversation, Perthshire-born jewellery designer Sophie spoke to HELLO!'s Royal Club about the impact the Princess of Wales has had on EAR SASS and what it was like to be invited to her Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey last December.

Kate Middleton wearing Issy Star earrings© Getty
Kate first wore the Issy Star earrings on World Mental Health Day

Speaking about the first time Kate stepped out wearing the Issy Star earrings from EAR SASS, Sophie said: "If I could use one word to describe how it made me feel, it made me feel strong. We were going through such heartbreak and grief when Issy took her own life.

"It just gave me this incredible strength because I wanted so much to raise so much money for the charity in Issy's honour when Kate wore them. Not only wore them, but on a day that that was so significant to me and my family [World Mental Health Day] and on a day that we knew was pending that was going to be very difficult."

To read the full interview with Sophie and to hear more about the Kate Effect, head to The HELLO! Royal Club and sign up to become a member.

If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can call Samaritans in the UK for free on 116 123 and in the US, you can text HOME to 741741 to connect with a volunteer Crisis Counselor 24/7.

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