When Britain’s Prince William proposed to his long-time girlfriend Kate Middleton during a vacation in Africa, he presented her with the engagement ring that had belonged to his mother, the late Princess Diana.
Prince Charles proposed to Lady Diana without a ring, urging her to consider the ramifications of becoming the Princess of Wales. When she decided to accept, Garrard Jewellers – crown jewelers since 1843 – presented her with an array of engagement rings from which to choose. Diana selected an 18-carat ring featuring a single large oval-cut blue sapphire surrounded by 14 small white diamonds.
The sapphire and diamond engagement ring was described as resembling Diana’s own mother’s engagement ring.
At the time, many people were surprised that the ring – which cost the equivalent of $65,000 today – was part of Garrard’s catalog stock rather than a custom design.
Diana’s ring, Prince William told members of the press when he and Kate announced their engagement on November 16, 2010, is “very special” to him. “As Kate’s very special to me now, it was right to put the two together,” he said.
