It’s easy to be distracted by the many outfits worn by the royal family, and the recent wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had people all over the world discussing “the dress”. However, before the pomp and circumstance of a royal wedding comes the engagement so we’ve put together a list of our favourite royal engagement rings.
Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge
This famous sapphire ring originally belonged to Lady Diana Spencer. Lady Diana actually picked out the ring from a Garrard catalogue, which caused many to criticise her and call it a “commoner’s ring”. That didn’t stop Diana however, and the oval 12-carat Ceylon sapphire surrounded by a cluster of 14 solitaire diamonds set in white gold is now famous.
When Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in a small cottage in Mount Kenya, he used his mother’s ring as he didn’t want her to “miss out”. The Duchess now wears the iconic ring and has inspired a rise in coloured engagement rings.
Love the look? Check out our Blue Oval Sapphire Ring with a Double Halo Ring.
Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex
When Prince Harry proposed to Meghan, the event took place after the two had cooked a roast chicken in their home of Nottingham Cottage. Meghan’s engagement ring holds a lot of meaning for the couple, with Prince Harry personally designing the ring over six months. The piece features a diamond trilogy representing the past, present and future and is set in yellow gold – Meghan’s favourite metal.
The large diamond in the middle comes from Botswana, a country that is very meaningful to the pair as they’ve spent a great deal of time doing conservation work there. The stones on either side come from Lady Diana’s personal collection and were an intentional choice by Harry “to make sure she is with us on this crazy journey together.”
Love the look? Check out our Three Stone Emerald Cut Diamond Ring.
Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark
As one of our own, Australians were proud to celebrate the marriage of Mary Donaldson to Frederik, the Crown Prince of Denmark. After the two met at the Slip Inn in Sydney, a sweet romance saw the two announcing their engagement in 2003.
Designed by Frederik himself and made by jeweller Mauricio Monteiro, Mary’s engagement ring is incredibly patriotic. The ring features a square-cut diamond, flanked by two square-cut rubies on either side, on a band of white gold, and matches the national colours of the Danish flag. Since their marriage, Princess Mary has further added smaller diamonds next to each ruby.
Love the look? Check out our Three Stone Ruby and Diamond Ring.
Queen Elizabeth II
When Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were first engaged, Philip’s family were not especially wealthy despite their royal status. To ensure her son proposed with a ring worthy of England’s future queen, Princess Alice of Battenberg loaned Philip a diamond and aquamarine tiara that had been given to her as a wedding present by Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra of Russia. She ordered that the tiara be taken apart and crafted into a ring “fit for a queen”.
Philip himself designed the stunning square-cut diamond engagement ring which features diamond side stones set in platinum. To this day, her Royal Majesty still wears the ring alongside her Welsh gold wedding band.
Love the look? Check out our Round Brilliant Cut Diamond Ring with Diamond Set Band.
Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco
The union of Harry and Meghan is not the first time royalty has wed celebrity. Prince Rainier III proposed to actress Grace Kelly in 1956 with a gorgeous Cartier eternity band which featured interlocking rubies and diamonds. However, the prince later changed the ring as he thought the ring needed an “upgrade”.
The new ring featured a platinum Cartier 10.47 carat emerald-cut diamond which was supported by two baguette diamonds on either side. Worth around £3.1 million, this is recognised as the most expensive royal wedding ring in history.
Love the look? Check out our Emerald Cut Diamond with Double Claw and Tapered Baguettes.
Based in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, here at Max Diamonds, we believe your engagement ring should make you feel like royalty. Get in touch with our team today to make your jewellery vision a reality.