The hidden stories behind 10 royal engagement rings
Erin McDowell
- Royal engagement rings are often backed by history and symbolism.
- Princess Diana chose her ring, which had been inspired by another piece of royal jewelry, from a catalog.
Queen Elizabeth's engagement ring included diamonds from a tiara that belonged to Prince Philip's mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.
The ring is made up of one 3-carat diamond surrounded by 10 smaller pavé diamonds. In 1946, according to Town & Country, Prince Philip's mother gifted him the tiara she wore on her wedding day so that it could be taken apart and reworked to craft a ring fit for a future queen.
The diamonds themselves date back to the end of the Romanov dynasty, when the tiara was gifted to Princess Alice by Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra of Russia.
Princess Diana's engagement ring is one of the most famous pieces of jewelry in the world.
Princess Diana chose the ring herself from a Garrard's catalog, meaning that anyone technically could have bought the same ring.
According to Vogue, the royal family didn't approve of this and didn't want commoners having the same access to jewels fit for royals. At the time of its original purchase in 1981, the ring was estimated to cost about $36,000. Today, however, the ring is priceless.
It features a 12-carat sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds.
However, the ring has ties to royalty even beyond Diana, Insider previously noted. The sapphire-and-diamond combination was inspired by one of Queen Victoria's brooches, which had also been designed by Garrard, the jeweler wrote on its website. Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria the brooch on their wedding day in 1840.
Princess Diana's entire jewelry collection was left to her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and Kate Middleton now wears her engagement ring.
The impressive collection was intended to be worn by her sons' future wives, according to The Sun, despite the fact that Princess Diana was never able to meet Kate Middleton or Meghan Markle. The allocation of each jewelry piece was left up to Prince William and Prince Harry.
Prince William proposed to Middleton with the family heirloom in 2010. The royal has continued to wear it ever since.
Meghan Markle's engagement ring features diamonds from Princess Diana's personal collection. It was originally designed by Prince Harry, but it was later changed.
The center diamond is from Botswana, where Prince Harry spent a lot of time as a patron of Rhino Conservation Botswana. The couple has visited the country on numerous occasions, including a safari trip for Markle's 36th birthday.
The other two diamonds are from Princess Diana's jewelry collection, according to Town & Country. The ring also appeared to be redesigned after Prince Harry proposed, with the simple gold band being swapped for a thin micro-pavé band.
Prince Edward also proposed to his bride, Sophie Rhys-Jones, with a ring from a Garrard's catalog.
The ring contained three diamonds, including two smaller heart-shaped diamonds to symbolize the couple's love.
Princess Eugenie's engagement ring is strikingly similar to the one received by her mother, Sarah Ferguson.
Princess Eugenie's stunning ring features a rose-colored padparadscha sapphire surrounded by diamonds. It also bears a striking resemblance to her mother's engagement ring.
When Prince Andrew proposed to Ferguson in 1986, he gave her an engagement ring featuring a large oval ruby, to match the dutchess' red hair, set in 10 drop diamonds on a yellow and white gold band. The couple later divorced in 1996.
Prince Rainier III of Monaco proposed to American actress Grace Kelly with a ring made of diamonds and rubies, which represented the colors of Monaco's flag.
According to Brides, the ring was designed by Cartier and created using jewels from the Monegasque royal family's collection.
However, inspired by one of her movie roles, Prince Rainier later replaced the ring with a much larger, extravagant choice.
When Kelly returned to Hollywood to shoot the 1956 film "High Society," her finger carried a large diamond ring instead.
The actress was going to wear a fake diamond ring for her role in the movie, but when Rainier heard this, he offered to buy her a real one instead, according to Brides. This second ring, also designed by Cartier, featured a massive 10.5-carat diamond.
The New York Post reported that, while in the US, Rainier had noticed that Kelly's famous friends had a "predilection for large, flashy diamonds." According to the article, Kelly's parents confirmed this, convincing Rainier to go bigger.
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark proposed to Mary Elizabeth Donaldson in 2003 with a ring that symbolized the country's flag.
The extravagant engagement ring featured two rubies and a single diamond.
King Willem Alexander proposed to Queen Maxima Zorreguieta with a ring that included the national color of the Netherlands.
The ring features a large orange-colored diamond flanked by two emerald-cut diamonds.
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