The Truth About Princess Diana’s Sapphire Engagement Ring
Ahead of the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana's death, we're taking a look back at the late Princess of Wales's most iconic gem—her famous engagement ring.
The most important thing you need to know about the history of Princess Diana’s engagement ring is that there is very little of it. That twelve carat Ceylon sapphire surrounded by fourteen solitaire diamonds was a catalogue item.
There were not royal stones involved, as there had been when Prince Philip proposed to Queen Elizabeth with a ring created from diamonds on one of his mother’s tiaras. No private commissions from royal jewelers occurred—as they have for centuries—and as they did even just a few years ago when Shaun Leane designed Princess Beatrice’s engagement ring.
And yet, Princess Diana’s pret-a-porter ring became a symbol of history. In fact, when I asked jewelry experts to contribute ideas for my book, Jewels That Made History, her ring was on every single one of their lists. It may have been this jewel that first marked her desire for independence.
To be fair, sapphires—long a stone of kings and a symbol of devotion and integrity—have always been a royal engagement ring stone of choice. When Lady Elizabeth—better known to us as the Queen Mother—said "yes" to the Duke of York (later King George VI) in 1923, the agreement was sealed with an oval shaped sapphire. And Princess Anne, too, wore the precious blue stone when she announced her engagement to Mark Phillips in 1973. Anne chose another sapphire, a cabochon cut, for her second marriage in 1986. Princess Alexandra of Kent’s ring? Yes, sapphire.
So how did Princess Diana’s ring actually break from what seems like a longstanding tradition? And why did her choice allegedly ignite royal criticism?
By all accounts it was the modern ease of her selection. The ring she chose—which of course now belongs to her daughter in law, Kate Middleton—from the Asprey catalogue was a stock item, not a bespoke piece, which meant that it could also be available to anyone else who might have $60,000 to spare.
For me, however, it has always been perfectly in keeping with Diana’s insistence of creating her own narrative within the royal story, and her legendary rebellious streak. Remember when she wore Queen Mary’s emerald and diamond choker as a headband to dance with her husband Charles, Prince of Wales during an official tour of Australia? And, as the People’s Princess, why wouldn’t she choose a ring that was—technically—available to all?
You Might Also Like
