What’s In A Ring?

Everyone’s engagement ring is the most beautiful one in the world to the person having received it.  But, there is one engagement ring that is known by many more people than just the young lady who received it.

Prince William, whilst in a rustic cottage in Africa, pulled a beautiful ring out of his knapsack and proposed to the love of his life, Catherine Middleton.  He and Catherine had been traveling around Africa for a couple of weeks and he was very worried about losing it.  He knew that “he would be in a lot of trouble” if he did in fact lose it.  But lose it, he didn’t and the rest is history.

I think most of us know that the ring in question was the ring that Charles presented to Diana when they got engaged.  It is a beautiful, large sapphire with diamonds encircling it.  The fact that it had been his mother’s was really important to Prince William.  He said, ““It’s my mother’s engagement ring, and it’s very special to me, as Kate is very special to me now as well. It was only right the two were put together.  It was my way of making sure mother didn’t miss out on today and the excitement and the fact that we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together.”

The rather lovely part of this story is that, apparently, the “sapphire seed” had been planted a long time ago when, in 1840, Albert commissioned the British jeweler, Garrard, to create a brooch which he would then present to his soon-to-be wife, Queen Victoria, as a wedding gift.  Albert loved sapphires and so the brooch was a huge sapphire with diamonds encircling it.  Victoria actually wore it on her wedding day as “something blue” and continued to wear it throughout her lifetime.

In her will, she made the brooch a Crown heirloom, meaning it will always belong to the reigning monarch.  So Queen Elizabeth, being the reigning monarch, has the use of the brooch and, apparently, just like her great grandmother, she loves it and wears it often.

Apparently, Prince Charles went to Garrard to get a few rings for the then Lady Diana Spencer to look at and to choose from.  It was important to him that he have a sapphire and diamond ring in the mix and it was, indeed, that one that ended up adorning Diana’s wedding finger.

It is remarkable how much it looks like Queen Victoria’s brooch!

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, will end up with the use of the brooch when William takes the throne.  Rather fun!

What’s in a ring?  Oh there’s a lot in a ring – a lot, a lot in a ring!