The Best Of Royal Engagement Rings

The engagement of a royal couple is somewhat of a spectacle with the world’s eyes on every aspect of their elaborate wedding planning and high-profile guest lists.

But the engagement wouldn’t be true to the royals without a stunning ring, most likely a precious family heirloom. Throughout the years of royal weddings there have been some rings which are extravagant rocks while other’s opted for simplicity and understated style.

Check out ten of the most iconic royal engagement rings throughout the years.

There was much excitement surrounding Prince Rainier III of Monaco’s proposal to beautiful Hollywood actress Grace Kelly.

The Prince initially proposed with a Cartier eternity band, complete with diamonds and rubies. However, when the royal noticed that other leading ladies in Hollywood were donning larger and more expensive rings, he upgraded it to a 10.5-carat emerald-cut diamond flanked by two baguettes.

The ring was also Cartier but certainly turned a few more heads.

Not only was Queen Elizabeth II’s engagement ring from Prince Philip big and beautiful, it also had some family history behind it. The diamonds in the rings derived from a tiara owned by Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Andrew of Greece.

Princess Diana was one of the only Princesses who got to choose her own ring. Garrard Jewelers were enlisted to come and present a selection of rings to Diana once Charles had proposed. The special ring selected was an oval cut 18-carat sapphire which was surrounded by 14 diamonds. Diana’s engagement ring is arguably one of the most infamous in history. Although the initial price was estimated at $40,000, it is now priceless.

It is widely known that Diana’s special diamond and emerald engagement ring ended up on the hand of Kate Middleton.

When Diana tragically passed away, Prince William inherited the ring for his future Queen and everyone was in awe when the engaged couple presented themselves with that iconic ring as the center piece. The timeless ring is always worn by Kate.

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were childhood friends and their friendship eventually blossomed into a romance. When Andrew proposed in 1986, he chose an oval cut Burmese ruby as it reminded him of Fergie’s red hair.

The ruby was surrounded by 10 brilliant cut diamonds in a floral arrangement and even though their marriage didn’t last, the ring will forever be passed down.

Prince Edward also opted to buy from the royal family jeweler Garrard when when he proposed to Sophie Rhys-Hones. The beautiful ring had a two-carat centerpiece diamond with two smaller heart-shaped gems either side. The impressive ring is said to be worth an estimated $130,000.

Crown Prince Felipe of Spain was someone who opted to do something different and present his bride-to-be Letizia Oritz with a band of diamonds instead of a rock. The understated yet stunning band has been admired and replicated by many.

When the Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark proposed to Mary Elizabeth Donaldson in 2003, he opted to go for something more patriotic rather than personal to his bride-to-be. The diamond ring is flanked by two rubies and pays homage to his countries flag which the couple are due to rule over.

Unlike many other royals, Daniel Westling presented Princess Victoria of Sweden with an understated, simple yet elegant diamond ring. In Sweden, extravagant diamond rings are rare so the royals decided to be in-keeping with their country and select a plain gold band with a single solitaire diamond.

King Willem Alexander went for something quite unusual when finding an engagement ring for Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. The somewhat chunky ring was covered in diamonds with a centerpiece of an orange diamond, paying homage to the historic national color of the Netherlands.