Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, inherited his late mother Princess Diana’s iconic engagement ring after her passing in 1997. However, when the time came for him to propose to his then-girlfriend, now wife Meghan Markle, he decided to give the ring to his brother’s wife, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. Instead, Harry decided to design his own ring for Meghan, with a special touch.
According to The Sun, the ring featured a central stone from Botswana, a country with special meaning for the couple, and two smaller diamonds from Diana’s collection. This allowed Harry to create something new for Meghan, while also honoring his mother and including her in the process.
When Harry proposed to Meghan in November 2017, she said the ring meant Diana was “with us on this crazy journey together.” The ring was crafted by Cleave and Company, court jewelers known for their work on many of Queen Elizabeth’s jewels.
While Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring is iconic, it also sparked controversy when it was first revealed during Charles and Diana’s engagement in 1981. The ring, which features a 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire stone surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds on 18-karat white gold, was said to have cost Charles $60,000 at the time. Today, it is estimated to be worth up to $500,000.
When Prince Charles first proposed to Princess Diana, he did not have an engagement ring. According to the book “Diana: Her True Story – in Her Own Words,” Charles simply asked Diana to marry him and she laughed, thinking it was a joke. He then took her to select a ring from a collection presented by the crown jeweler, Garrard, and Diana chose the iconic sapphire ring.
However, this choice was not well received by the royal family as it was not customary for a royal to wear a ring that was not custom-made and available for public purchase. It is not clear why Diana chose that specific ring, but some say it was because it featured the largest stone, while others believe it reminded her of her mother’s engagement ring.
Regardless of the reason, Diana loved the ring and continued to wear it even after her divorce from Charles. Now that Kate Middleton has the ring, it will eventually pass down to Prince George, who will one day be king. It is possible that the couple will also give it to their daughter Princess Charlotte.
Are you familiar with the interesting history behind the engagement ring shared by Princess Diana and Kate Middleton?
