- Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring is now worn by Kate Middleton.
- Prince Charles remarried in 2005 and wore his grandmother’s Art Deco diamond ring.
- Princess Eugenie’s pink gem resembles her mother’s ring, which Prince Andrew gave her in 1986.
Royal family proposes marriage, it is usually accompanied by a significant dose of history and sentiment.
When Prince Philip proposed to Queen Elizabeth in 1947, he used diamonds from his mother, Princess Andrew of Greece, to create a beautiful diamond engagement ring for his future wife. In doing so, he pioneered the practice of reusing heirloom jewels for royal weddings.
“It’s amazing because it gives an old piece of jewellery new life,” Annoushka Ducas, royal jeweller, tells people. “There’s something so lovely about handing down the memories, the narrative and what that piece of jewelry reminds you of, it’s a complex thing.”
Fast forward 70 years and Prince Harry followed suit, this time with a heartbreaking homage to his late mother Princess Diana, designing Meghan Markle’s engagement ring with two stones from her personal jewellery collection. “The small diamonds on either side are from my mother’s jewellery collection to ensure that she’s with us on this wild adventure together,” he explained during their 2017 engagement.
