The Most Breathtaking Royal Engagement Rings

By Mary Shannon Wells

We often get so distracted by tiaras and crowns on the heads of royals (or we’re distracted by how cute Prince George and Princess Charlotte are) that we forget to notice the other jewels they have on. Royal weddings are a spectacle that we can’t help but obsess over — the dress, the guests, the flowers, the crowns — there’s so much to love about the wedding of a monarch. But before the major event of the wedding comes the engagement, which means engagement rings. Being part of a royal family means incredible family heirlooms and access to the world’s most premier jewelers, so these engagement rings are to die for. These royal engagement rings have sentimental value, colored stones, simplistic styles, massive carat counts and more.

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Queen Elizabeth II

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Prince Philip had Queen Elizabeth’s three-karat diamond ring made with diamonds from one of his mother’s (Princess Alice of Battenberg, later Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark) tiaras.

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Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge

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You may recognize the ring on Kate Middleton’s finger as the same one Prince William’s mother Diana was given by his father, Prince Charles. After proposing in 2010, William said part of the reason he used his mother's ring is because he didn’t want her to “miss out on” the day.

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Princess Anne

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Princess Anne didn’t have a problem finding “something blue.” She was given a sapphire and diamond engagement ring from her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, and another sapphire and diamond ring for her second engagement to Sir Timothy Laurence, although the style and cut of the rings were different.

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Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

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Princess Margaret’s ruby and diamond engagement ring was custom-designed by her husband to-be, Anthony Armstrong Jones, to resemble a rose, reflecting Margaret’s middle name.

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Diana, Princess of Wales

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The ring that now resides on Kate Middleton’s finger was first on Princess Diana’s. Prince Charles actually didn’t present Diana with the ring when he proposed, but instead let her choose from several rings. The 12-carat sapphire ring she picked is now arguably one of the most well known in the world.

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Sarah, Duchess of York

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Keeping with the colored-stone trend, the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson’s ring features a ruby, which is supposedly a tribute to her red hair.

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Sophie, Countess of Wessex

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Prince Edward proposed to Sophie, Countess of Wessex, with a classic a two-carat oval diamond that features heart-shaped diamonds on either side of it. We "heart" this ring, too, Sophie!

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Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor

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American socialite Wallis Simpson and former King of Wales and Duke of Windsor Edward VIII had a controversial relationship to say the least, but her massive 19.77-carat emerald ring, engraved with “We are ours now 27 X 36” (he proposed on October 27, 1936) is one of our favorites.

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Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall

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Prince Charles proposed to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, in 2005 with a family heirloom ring that belonged to his grandmother, the Queen Mother. The stunning heirloom features an emerald-cut diamond with three diamond baguettes on each side.

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Queen Letizia of Spain

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Although she doesn’t wear rings often, Queen Letizia’s engagement ring is beatiful with 16 baguette diamonds between two white gold bands.

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Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark

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Crown Princess of Denmark Mary’s ring features an emerald-cut diamond with two emerald-cut rubies on either side, representing the colors of Denmark’s flag. She later added another, smaller diamond next to each of the rubies.

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Queen Maxima of the Netherlands

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Queen Maxima’s ring showcases a unique color for an engagement ring — orange. Her ring features an oval-shaped orange diamond because it's the historic national color of the Netherlands.

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Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden

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Crown Princess Victoria’s ring has a simple design but impressive stone. The ring features a white gold band with a round, brilliant-cut diamond solitaire.

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Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco

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Prince Rainier III of Monaco originally proposed to American actress Grace Kelly with a ruby and diamond eternity ring by Cartier (shown here). Wanting to give his bride-to-be something bigger, Prince Rainier later bought Kelly another Cartier engagement ring — a 12-carat emerald cut diamond with two baguettes on either side — that would become iconic.

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