Six Sparkling Royal Engagement Rings: From Queen Elizabeth to Kate Middleton

Although members of the royal family may be closely associated with historic crowns, tiaras and gemstones, in some cases dating back centuries, there are more personal pieces of jewelry that hold special meaning for each of them, primarily their engagement rings.

As coverage of any royal wedding makes global news, so do engagements, with the all-important engagement rings serving as points of inspiration for brides-to-be everywhere.

From Queen Elizabeth II’s diamonds, taken from a tiara belonging to her mother-in-law, to the Princess of Wales’ famous oval sapphire, inherited from Princess Diana, the royal’s engagement rings are their ultimate accessory.

Here, News week takes a look at six of the British royal family’s sparkling sentimental gems.

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip announced their engagement in July 1947, although the then princess had accepted the proposal a year earlier on the condition given by her father that she wait until she was 21 to marry. make public.

Philip was a lieutenant in the British Navy and the son of Prince and Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark. When he proposed to Elizabeth, he did so with a ring made with stones from one of his mother’s tiaras that had been given to him for this purpose.

Philip had the ring made by the English company Philip Antrobus, who also designed an elaborate diamond bracelet using the remaining stones from the tiara, which was given to the prince’s wife as a wedding gift.

The ring features a large central diamond, measuring approximately three carats, flanked by two smaller diamonds on a platinum band.

Duchess of Edinburgh

When Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest son, Prince Edward, proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Sophie Rhys-Jones, in 1999, he did so using a diamond ring that echoed the formation from that of his mother.

Edward and Sophie (now Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh) held an engagement photoshoot at Clarence House in London, where the future princess showed photographers her ring, designed by the company Asprey and Garrard.

The ring reportedly cost £105,000 ($127,514) and was worn regularly throughout the royal’s 24-year marriage.

Queen Camille

When Prince Charles (now King Charles III) announced his engagement to Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005, it was the culmination of a long love affair that had a series of ups and downs over the years. ‘public opinion.

As the second marriage – following the royal’s 1996 divorce from Princess Diana and Camilla’s divorce from Andrew Parker Bowles in 1995 – it altered royal convention by taking place in two parts, a civil ceremony and a blessing at the door. church.

However, convention was kept with the all-important engagement ring and the future queen received an heirloom piece of jewelry that had belonged to Charles’ grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

The art deco style ring is believed to date back to the 1920s and features an eight-carat emerald-cut diamond set in a platinum band, flanked by six smaller diamond baguettes.

Princess of Wales

When Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010, he did so using one of the most famous engagement rings of all time: the diamond and sapphire ring that had been his late wife’s engagement ring mother, Princess Diana.

After his death, the ring was inherited by his sons and Kate complimented the ring by choosing a sapphire blue dress for the couple’s official engagement photo shoot at St James’s Palace.

In April 2023, Kate discussed the ring in a rare moment filmed at a public event. The princess told a well-wisher that the ring was the same size as when Diana wore it, requiring no modification for use.

“It’s very, very special,” she said. “It’s an honor to be able to continue to wear it.”

Duchess of Sussex

Prince Harry also honored his mother by proposing to Meghan Markle in 2017.

The prince specially designed a three-diamond ring for Meghan, using a large center stone that had been quarried in Botswana, where the couple spent significant holidays early in their relationship.

The center stone is flanked by two smaller diamonds believed to have been taken from Princess Diana’s jewelry collection.

“The little diamonds on either side are from my mother’s jewelry collection to make sure she’s with us on this crazy journey together,” the prince said in his engagement interview, with Meghan adding: “It’s beautiful , and he designed it. It’s incredible.”

Since their marriage, the ring has undergone some modifications.

Princess Eugenie

Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter, Princess Eugenie, announced her engagement to businessman Jack Brooksbank from Buckingham Palace on January 22, 2018.

The engagement ring the couple chose echoed the diamond-studded ruby ​​ring that was given by the princess’s father, Prince Andrew, to her mother, Sarah Ferguson, before their 1986 wedding.

Instead of a ruby, Eugenie’s ring is adorned with a large and rare Padparadscha sapphire which gives a pink to orange hue.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek’s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek’s The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We would like to hear from you.