NEED TO KNOW
When then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana announced their engagement 44 years ago, all eyes were on her 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire ring.
The couple, who had been dating for six months, made their official engagement announcement via the Lord Chancellor at 11 a.m. on Feb. 24, 1981. The same day, the couple were interviewed by the BBC, where Charles said that he was “delighted and frankly amazed” that Diana was prepared to take him on.
Prince Charles and Diana wed on July 29, 1981. The pair ultimately divorced in 1996, just one year ahead of Diana’s untimely death. Her sapphire ring was inherited by her youngest son, Prince Harry, who eventually offered it to his older brother, Prince William, before he proposed to Kate Middleton with it in 2010.
Though royals have often favored sapphires, Diana’s engagement ring wasn’t custom-made, which went against royal tradition. However, the ring has become one of the most iconic and priceless pieces of royal jewelry.
From picking her ring out of a catalog to its ongoing legacy, here are all the details on Princess Diana’s engagement ring.
Princess Diana’s engagement ring was worth $37,500
Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty
Many royals often repurpose heirloom gems to create one-of-a-kind engagement rings. Prince Philip used diamonds from a tiara belonging to his mother, Princess Alice of Greece, for Queen Elizabeth’s engagement ring back in 1947. In 2017, Prince Harry used two stones from Diana’s personal jewelry collection to create Meghan Markle’s engagement ring.
Prince Charles and Diana, however, went against this long-standing tradition by choosing an engagement ring from jeweler Garrard’s catalog. Since the ring was from a stock collection, members of the public could also potentially purchase the piece.
The now-iconic ring features a 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire set in 18-carat white gold and is surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds. When Charles proposed to Diana in 1981, the piece was valued at $37,500.
According to Garrard, while the ring was not bespoke, its design was inspired by a brooch Prince Albert commissioned for his bride-to-be, Queen Victoria, in 1840. The piece featured a large sapphire surrounded by 12 round diamonds and was set in gold. Queen Victoria reportedly loved the piece so much that she wore it on her wedding day, fastening it to the front of her wedding gown as her “something blue.”
After Victoria died in 1901, the brooch was declared an heirloom of the crown. The late Queen Elizabeth later wore the brooch various times during her reign.
Diana’s 19th-century-inspired ring was one of many that Charles selected to be presented to the Princess of Wales at Windsor Castle in preparation for the proposal. Charles chose to include the sapphire and diamond ring in the collection because it reminded him of the brooch he often saw his mother and grandmother wear.
Princess Diana reportedly picked the sapphire ring because it matched her blue eyes.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana announced their engagement on Feb. 24, 1981
Tim Graham Photo Library
In early February 1981, Charles popped the question to his bride-to-be after six months of dating.
The engagement, which was kept a secret from the world for three weeks, was finally announced to the public on Feb. 24, 1981, with a formal announcement by the palace. “It is with the greatest pleasure that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh announce the betrothal of their beloved son the Prince of Wales to the Lady Diana Spencer, daughter of Earl Spencer and the Honourable Mrs. Shand Kydd,” the statement read.
After their engagement was made public, the couple posed for photos outside Buckingham Palace before speaking with the BBC for a joint engagement interview. Diana wore a cobalt blue skirt suit from Harrods that complemented the vivid color of her new engagement ring.
“I asked Diana before she went to Australia,” Charles told the BBC of the proposal. “Two or three days before. I thought it would be a good idea … if she went to Australia she could then think about it, and if she didn’t like the idea she could say she didn’t, or if she did, she could say that.”
Diana later shared that saying “yes” was the obvious choice. “I had a long time to think about it because I knew the pressure was on both of us,” she said. “It wasn’t a difficult decision in the end. It’s what I wanted. It’s what I want.”
During this interview, Charles also made his infamous remark about the meaning of love. When asked if the couple were in love, Diana replied sheepishly, “Of course,” while Charles said, “Whatever in love means.” The Princess of Wales later said this comment “traumatized” her.
Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton with Princess Diana’s engagement ring in 2010
Chris Jackson/Getty
Following Princess Diana’s death in 1997, Prince William and Prince Harry inherited her jewelry collection. In 2010, William used his mother’s ring to propose to Kate while on vacation in Africa.
In a post-engagement interview with ITV in November 2010, Prince William shared how he took extra special care of his late mother’s ring before proposing. “I had been carrying it [the ring] around with me in my rucksack for about three weeks … I literally would not let it go, everywhere I went I was keeping hold of it, ’cause I knew this thing, if it disappeared I’d be in a lot of trouble,” he said.
In a subtle tribute to Princess Diana’s engagement announcement outfit, Kate chose a blue Issa dress that matched the ring for her joint interview with William. The sentimental choice only made the moment even more special, with William explaining why the sapphire piece was so close to his heart.
“It’s my mother’s engagement ring, so I thought it was quite nice because obviously, she’s not going to be around to share any of the fun and excitement of it all — this was my way of keeping her sort of close to it all,” he said.
