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From a young age, little girls everywhere grow up fantasizing about becoming a princess and all of the splendor associated with such a title. As we grow older, the harsh realities of not living at Buckingham Palace and having high tea with her most royal majesty bi-weekly, start to kick in. This reality check doesn’t stop us from fawning over the royal family, or wanting the fairytale ending we deserve! These ladies wrote the book on timeless elegance, so it only makes sense to look to them for ring inspiration when writing the next chapter of our happily ever after! Here are our favorite standout rings of the royal family.
Diana, Princess of Wales/ Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge:
As she was known by many, “The People’s Princess”, Princess Diana was the first woman in the Royal family to pick her own ring (hello, modern woman!). The Princess of Wales chose a 12 carat oval Ceylon Sapphire surrounded by a halo of 14 round diamonds on an 18K solid white gold band. Many say she opted for the sapphire because it reminded her of the ring her father gave her mother, and Prince Charles liked how it matched her piercing blue eyes. Prince Charles proposed with this custom made sapphire ring to the future princess in 1981.
This beautiful sapphire ring was passed down to her son, Prince William, after her untimely passing. It is now famously seen on the Duchess of Cambridge herself, Kate Middleton. Her now-husband, Prince William, popped the question back in 2010 and presented Kate with this gorgeous and sentimental ring. Prince William famously stated that proposing with his mother’s ring only made sense, as it was his way to ensure that his mother ‘doesn’t miss out on any part of their new life together’. Cue the ugly crying.
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex:
The most widely known royal engagement ring is that of Meghan Markle – the ring that singlehandedly reignited the three-stone engagement ring trend around the world! Princess Diana’s second-born son, Prince Harry, proposed to Meghan in 2017 with a three-stone ring set in yellow gold. This ring features a 3.5-carat elongated cushion center diamond flanked by two round diamonds from Princess Diana’s own collection. The center diamond is set with ‘split prongs’ on each corner while the accent stones are set with four prongs to give the round stones a more “boxy” appearance to complement the cushion center.
The ‘Meghan Markle Ring’ took the jewelry community by storm, though unknown to the public, sometime after the Royal Wedding and the birth of their firstborn son, Archie, The Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry redesigned the famous ring. The new ring design features the same basic concept as before, all focus on the three stones, however, she opted to reset the stones on a thin micro-pave band. The center diamond was additionally stripped of the ‘split prongs’ and replaced by four thin claw prongs. This ring reset gives the ring a more feminine and modern appearance as compared to the classic original.
Queen Elizabeth II:
A ring rich in history and splendor is the Queen’s own! Given to her in 1947 by a young Prince Phillip, Princess Elizabeth (at the time) was bestowed an opulent three-carat old European cut round diamond ring. The ring is accompanied by five smaller accent diamonds on either side of the center stone. Set in platinum, this ring stands apart from others in the royal family as the center diamond is set with eight prongs instead of the classic six.
When picking out this beauty of a ring, Phillip turned to his mother, Princess Alice of Greece and Denmark for a clue (sound familiar, fellas?). Alice gave a then young Phillip a tiara gifted to her by the last remaining members of the Romanovs and the Russian royal family. Talk about Crown Jewels (that is actually where the phrase comes from)! Prince Phillip knew this ring was intended for a Queen, so it had to be that much more special. We’d say he did a good job, as Queen Elizabeth hasn’t touched or tampered with the design ever since.
Camila Parker Bowels, Duchess of Cornwall:
If the three seasons of ‘The Crown’ didn’t give it away, Camila Parker Bowels has some serious bling. The most notable of her extensive collection is her five-carat emerald engagement ring. Prince Charles proposed to Camila in 2005, ten years after his divorce with the late Princess Diana, with this art-deco inspired emerald cut ring. The ring features three flanking baguettes on either side of this five-carat showstopper! This ring was passed down to Charles by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth I. The Queen Mother wore this ring as her own until her passing, leaving Charles a ring that is undoubtedly fit for a Queen!
Princess Beatrice of York:
A fresh face to the royal ring ‘Hall of Fame’ is that of Princess Beatrice. Granddaughter to Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Beatrice was presented with this 3.5 carat round diamond ring in Italy late last year by her longtime boyfriend Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
This 3.5 carat round is set with six prongs and fashioned after a Victorian-era ring. Either side of the center stone has a pair of small round accent diamonds followed by a large tapered baguette and five flanking diamonds continuing down the shank.
Want to create an engagement ring inspired by one of these designs? Contact us at info@laurenb.com to start!