Jewellery

British royal engagement rings through history

An in depth guide to who made the most fabulous engagement rings of the British Royal Family, from Queen Elizabeth to Princess Diana and Catherine, Princess of Wales

By Joshua Hendren

A royal engagement calls for an iconic sparkler to match. Here, we chart the British Royal Family’s most memorable engagement rings, from Queen Elizabeth’s diamond-set platinum band to Camilla, the new Queen Consort, and her bigger-the-better Art Deco token.

The Queen Mother

The Queen Mother with her second child Princess Margaret Rose (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

The Duke of York proposed to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later known as the Queen Mother) with a sapphire ring flanked by diamonds and presented on a Welsh gold wedding band. She would later swap out the engagement ring for a singular pearl surrounded by tiny diamond accents.

The Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson

Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

“We are ours now 27 X 36” was the message King Edward VIII had engraved on the interior of Wallis Simpson’s Cartier engagement ring. The platinum sparkler is set with a dazzling 19.77K rectangular emerald surrounded by diamond baguettes. 

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II at the Windsor Horse Show in 1982 (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

Created by Bond Street jeweller Philip Antrobus, the diamonds on Queen Elizabeth’s platinum-set engagement ring came from a tiara owned by the Duke of Edinburgh’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.

Princess Margaret

Princess Margaret visiting Kensington Gardens to unveil a plaque commemorating the first appearance of Peter Pan’s statue there (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

Antony Armstrong-Jones proposed to Princess Margaret with a large ruby ring set in diamonds that was made to look like a rosebud, in honour of the princess’ middle name, Rose.

Princess Diana

Diana, Princess of Wales (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

Princess Diana’s spectacular white gold engagement ring was designed by royal jeweller Garrard and features an oval 12K Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds.

Princess Anne

Princess Anne and her fiancé, Captain Mark Phillips (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

Designed by Garrard, Princess Anne’s engagement ring features an eye-catching sapphire at its centre, complemented by a clear diamond on either side.

The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson after the announcement of their engagement at Buckingham Palace in 1986 (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

Set in yellow gold, Sarah Ferguson’s engagement ring is instantly recognisable thanks to the huge Burmese ruby at its core, which comes surrounded by ten diamonds to form a glittering cluster.

Sophie Rhys Jones, Countess of Wessex

Sophie Rhys-Jones on the day of her engagement at St. James’s Palace in London (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

The white-gold-set engagement ring of the Countess of Wessex features a two-carat central oval diamond flanked by two heart-shaped diamonds. It was made by Asprey and Garrard.

Autumn Phillips

Autumn Phillips attends the Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park in 2007 (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

This sparkling finger candy, set in platinum with a central oval diamond and two additional diamonds on either side, belongs to Autumn Phillips, the former wife of Peter Phillips.

Zara Tindall

Zara Tindall poses for a photograph with her fiancé, Mike Tindall, after the announcement of their engagement at their home in Gloucestershire in 2010 (Photo by Tim Ireland/AFP via Getty Images)

Mike Tindall proposed to Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Phillips in 2010 with this split diamond-set platinum band punctuated by a solitaire diamond.

Catherine, Princess of Wales

Kate Middleton during a photocall in the state apartments of St James’s Palace to mark her engagement to Prince William (Photo by Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

Kate Middleton’s engagement ring was originally bought by the Prince of Wales for Diana. Here, the new Princess of Wales showcases the ring’s vibrant beauty at a photocall in St James’s Palace to mark her engagement to Prince William.

Camilla, Queen Consort

Camilla Parker Bowles shows her engagement ring when she arrives for a party at Windsor Castle (Photo by Anwar Hussein/WireImage)

Camilla, the new Queen Consort, flashes her engagement ring during a party at Windsor Castle in 2015. The stunning platinum Art Deco design features a 5K emerald-cut diamond at its centre surrounded by baguettes on each side.

Meghan Markle

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend a photocall in the Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace following the announcement of their engagement in 2017 (Photo by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images)

Two diamonds from the personal jewellery collection of Princess Diana sparkle on Meghan Markle’s yellow-gold band. Made by court jewellers Cleave and Company, the diamond centrepiece was sourced from Botswana by Prince Harry himself.

Princess Eugenie

Princess Eugenie displays her engagement ring as she poses with her fiancé Jack Brooksbank in the Picture Gallery at Buckingham Palace in 2018, after the announcement of their engagement (Photo by Jonathan Brady/AFP via Getty Images)

The sunset glow at the centre of Princess Eugenie’s engagement ring is lit by a padparadscha sapphire surrounded by a cluster of diamonds that form a floral silhouette.

Princess Beatrice

Edo Mapelli Mozzi and Princess Beatrice attend Wimbledon Championships Tennis Tournament at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in 2021 (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Princess Beatrice’s stunning platinum and diamond band boasts a 3.5K round diamond with tapered baguettes on each side.

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