Queen Elizabeth II was laid to rest on Monday, September 19, after a state funeral watched by the world. Although it is not known if she was buried with her engagement ring, it is unlikely – most royals have chosen to pass on their engagement rings after their death. But what was the late Queen’s ring like?
Prince Philip offered Princess Elizabeth, soon to be Queen, a three-carat engagement ring in 1947, a few months before their wedding.
It featured a central circular diamond with smaller diamonds on either side of it.
The Duke of Edinburgh reportedly designed the ring himself – the diamonds were from a tiara owned by his mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.
The Princess likely gave her son the tiara in 1946, knowing that he would soon propose to Elizabeth.
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The Prince then helped to design the ring alongside London jewellers Philip Antrobus Ltd.
Many diamonds were pulled from the tiara and Philip used the excess to design a bracelet for his wife.
This too was a gift for her before her and Philip’s wedding in 1947. Elizabeth went on to wear the bracelet on many an occasion.
One of the most notable events was when the late Queen wore it for the opening of the Canadian Parliament in Ontario in 1957, pairing it with dangling pearl earrings and an impressive diamond necklace with one large diamond pendant.
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Another occasion was for the Queen and Prince Philip’s silver wedding anniversary celebrations in 1972.
The tiara from which the iconic diamonds came from was a diamond and aquamarine piece given to Princess Alice upon her marriage to Prince Andrew of Greece in 1903 by her aunt and uncle, Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra of Russia.
Philip’s bracelet for the Queen was inspired by the Art-Deco style and was geometric in design, featuring three large white brilliant cut diamonds with three square links connected by vertical sections and set in platinum.
No other member of the Royal Family has worn the bracelet, except for Kate, the Princess of Wales, who borrowed it for the state banquet honouring the President of China in 2015, as well as for the BAFTAs in 2017.
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While the bracelet is very glamorous, the late Queen’s engagement ring is a little less showy, according to experts.
Expert from RH Jewellers said: “Queen Elizabeth’s engagement ring given to her by late Prince Philip in 1947 is one of her most understated pieces.”
Understated it might be, but still extremely valuable – experts at jewellers Steven Steven estimate it to be worth around £207,082.
Although Philip was a Prince, his family was not very wealthy, therefore using diamonds from another jewellery piece could have been an effective way for him to save money.
The Queen met Prince Philip in 1934, when they both attended the wedding of Philip’s cousin, Princess Marina of Greece. She married the Duke of Kent. At the time, Elizabeth was just a teenager and Philip 18-years-old.
The young couple met again in 1939, at Dartmouth Royal Navy College, where Philip attempted to impress Elizabeth on the tennis court.
They started writing to one another soon after, but their engagement wasn’t announced until July 1947.
The pair married in November 1947 at Westminster Abbey, London.
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