The brothers are rumored to then have swapped heirlooms, due to a reported (unconfirmed) agreement that whichever brother was to be engaged first should have the ring. In the Amazon Prime documentary The Diana Story, Diana's butler Paul Burrell claimed that Harry had originally chosen the Ceylon sapphire ring, telling him at the time: “I remember when I held mummy's hand when I was a small boy, and that ring always hurt me because it was so big.” How, then, did it end up on Kate Middleton’s hand?
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Both William and Harry inherited a piece each from their mother’s personal jewelry collection, with William choosing a Cartier Tank watch and Harry choosing the engagement ring. Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix/Getty ImagesĪfter Diana’s untimely death in 1997, the ring was returned to the royal family. Princess Diana with her mother Frances at the Wimbledon Men's Final in 1993. The queen has been seen wearing it on many high-profile occasions, including Prince William’s christening in 1982 and when she met with President John F. Victoria left the brooch to the Crown in her will, meaning that the heirloom will always belong to the reigning monarch, and it seems Queen Elizabeth is just as enamored with it. Albert, Prentice said, had a particular fondness for the blue stone, too. Yet she returned to the sapphire brooch time and time again, wearing it up until Albert’s death in 1861. Over her 63-year reign, Queen Victoria amassed a grand collection of jewels. Prince Albert commissioned Garrard to create the brooch in 1840, and Queen Victoria “found she loved it so much that she decided to wear it on her wedding day as her something blue on the front of her dress,” Sara Prentice, Garrard’s current creative director, told Vogue. Prince Charles is said to have been drawn to select the Garrard ring, as it was similar to a sapphire and diamond brooch that was given to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert, as a present for his soon-to-be bride.
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Tim Graham/Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images Princess Diana and Prince Charles announcing their engagement in 1981. Rather than raiding the royal family’s jewelry collection (which was customary at the time), Prince Charles purchased the engagement ring from a stock collection, meaning that it wasn’t a bespoke design, and any member of the public could also purchase the ring (if they had a cool £47,000 lying around, of course). However, the choice is rumored to have ruffled a few feathers. Within this small number was the Marguerite ring - a 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds, set on an 18-karat white gold band.Īs we now know, this is the ring Princess Diana selected. When Prince Charles asked a 19-year-old Lady Diana to marry him in 1981, he selected a few rings from the then crown jewelers Garrard for her to choose from. But, as is often the case with dramas based on real events, how much of it will stay true to life? As the long-awaited latest season begins this weekend, we look back at the real story behind Princess Diana’s engagement ring.
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Season 4 of The Crown covers the time period between 19, which of course includes the relationship between Prince Charles (Josh O'Connor) and the late Princess Diana (Emma Corrin), so we expect the ring to be a scene-stealer in its own right. The large central sapphire surrounded by diamonds is an iconic part of royal jewelry history, and it's about to take a starring role on the small screen, too. “While the ring is no doubt priceless, if it were available to buy, it would be worth around £75,000 to £85,000.Princess Diana’s engagement ring is arguably one of the world's most recognized pieces of jewelry. “Now having been passed down to Meghan Markle from Harry, it’s interesting to know that the Aquamarine’s light blue colour symbolises feelings of sympathy, trust, and friendship.
PRINCESS DIANA AQUAMARINE RING SKIN
With an enchanting pale blue colour, the ring complimented Diana’s skin tone perfectly. Maxwell said: “Aquamarine is one of the most visually beautiful gemstones. The ring, set on a 24-carat yellow gold band, was passed down to Prince Harry who gave it to Meghan Markle to wear for the couple’s wedding reception.
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She paired the ring with a coordinating pearl bracelet, featuring a huge aquamarine clasp. The first appearance of the ring came when Diana, attended the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute Fund raising Dinner in Sydney, in October 1996, a few months after her divorce from Prince Charles. Featuring an emerald cut aquamarine flanked by small solitaire diamonds, the eye-catching aquamarine was given to the Princess by her friend, Lucia Flecha de Lima, and created into a ring by Asprey in 1996.