With Covid eating up most of 2020, we’ve been watching a lot more telly and one of the most popular programmes on the box was Netflix’s The Crown. Season four gave viewers a through the lens look at the Diana years and with it brought back the tabloid storm that followed Diana throughout her life in the spotlight.
One of the most talked-about moments in the series portrayed the scene where Diana was to choose her engagement ring from an exquisite selection of jewels and rings by the crown jeweller Garrard. Fans couldn’t help but be wowed by the stunning replica of Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring which she chose. Or did she?
There is a lot of mystery surrounding how the Princess Diana engagement ring was chosen and the mixed reactions to it. Theories raged about whether Diana actually chose the ring herself, whether she would respect what was the Royal custom when it came to jewellery or whether the ring and it’s style had a personal meaning to her.
Here are four of the most popular theories about Princess Diana’s engagement ring:
1: The Royals were less than impressed by its lack of uniqueness
Even though the ring is now forever known as the Princess Diana ring, the fact that Royal jeweller Garrard featured the ring in its catalogue reduced more than just a bit of the ring’s sheen and uniqueness. Despite its expensive cost at £47,000, putting a replica ring out of the financial reach of many – the fact is that anyone could purchase an exact replica of Princess Diana’s engagement ring – from the same Royal jeweller.
This led to reports that the Royals weren’t too impressed that any ordinary citizen could be walking around wearing the exact same engagement ring as Princess Diana. They believed that the Royals should be unique to what the ordinary commoners would wear, especially wedding jewellery. But was this the fault of Diana for choosing the ring? After all – Diana followed protocol. She was presented with a selection of rings from Gallards collection and chose her favourite. If ire should have been directed at anyone – it should have been at the Royal jewellers Gallard for making the same ring available to anyone willing to pay.
Interestingly enough – this situation is unlikely to repeat itself as the Royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle proved. The creators behind Meghan’s ring made it publicly clear that there would be no replicas available to the public – high society included!
2: The Queen chose Princess Diana’s engagement ring
If true, Diana and the Queen would have agreed to having similar tastes in jewellery and the Queen would know what type of engagement ring would suit Diana best. Definitely a positive start for Diana’s relationship with her future mother-in-law. Add to it that Diana continued wearing her engagement ring – regardless of relationship status – was proof enough that whoever picked Princess Diana’s engagement ring – she adored it. Even the Queen herself is known to occasionally wear a similar brooch to what Diana wore – more evidence that the Queen approved of Princess Diana’s engagement ring.
3: Princess Diana’s sapphire ring matched the colour of her eyes
The theory of the ring matching Diana’s aristocratic style and colours are backed up by this quote from Vivienne Becker, an author and historian of jewellery who contends that the engagement ring chosen by Princess Diana was “totally in tune with her style”.
Looking at the official portrait from Charles and Diana’s engagement (pictured on the right) you can see that Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring perfectly matches the colours of her suit and natural eye colour.
4: The cluster style of Princess Diana’s engagement ring had Royal history, thus was approved of by the Royal family
Rollback the years all the way to 1840 and look at the Sapphire cluster brooch given to Princess Victoria by Prince Albert on the occasion of their Royal wedding. Notice the similarity? The brooch was also designed by Royal Jewellers Garrard. For high society, a ring in a cluster style surrounding a big gemstone was a trademark of their status and wealth. Often purchased with the intent to be passed down to future generations, the style was required to stand the test of time – meaning classic and nothing too out of the box. And this is why Princess Diana’s Sapphire cluster engagement ring was the most appropriate choice for the Princess.
Where is Princess Diana’s engagement ring today?
The late Princess Diana’s engagement ring today adorns the finger of the Duchess of Cambridge – Kate Middleton. Prince William was able to propose with his late mother’s engagement ring after his brother Harry, who had held on to it graciously offered it to William to propose with.
As we’ve discovered there was a lot of speculation and theories behind Princess Diana’s engagement ring. One thing we at David Ashley can say for sure is that the ring is one of the most beautiful, timeless and classic rings we have cast eyes on.
And if you are we’re inspired by the classic style of Princess Diana’s Sapphire engagement ring – at David Ashley we can help you create your very own Lady Diana engagement ring.
So now you can also propose to your significant other with a ring fit for a Princess!
Worried you don’t have the budget for your Princess? Have no fear – at David Ashley – we have classic engagement rings that work with your budget, without compromising on quality. Take a look at the exquisite collection of ring styles available at David Ashley and if you have any questions or need inspiration in choosing a ring for your special one, our ring experts at David Ashley will be glad to be of assistance!
