Kate Middleton’s Engagement Ring: The Full Data

Kate Middleton’s engagement ring is arguably one of many essential well-known, influential gadgets of bijou of all time. To immediately, the Princess of Wales’ royal bauble, a 12-carat sapphire stone encircled with 14 diamonds, continues to be a provide of inspiration for many modern designs. In spite of everything, the striking-yet-timeless look undoubtedly contributes to the enduring and widespread popularity of the ring, nonetheless the accent’s rich historic previous and mawkish price are moreover answerable for its everlasting enchantment.

When Kate and her then-fiancé, Prince William, launched their engagement on November 16, 2010, the sparkler was instantly acknowledged because the equivalent engagement ring that William’s mother, the late Princess Diana, acquired from Prince Charles (now King Charles III) when he proposed. In accordance with Kate and William’s ITV interview, selecting the heirloom jewel was a fashion for the couple to take care of Diana close to the them.

However, the origin story of the diamond-and-sapphire gemstone begins even sooner than every princesses had their flip carrying it. To be taught additional regarding the notable rock’s attention-grabbing earlier, together with its design choices, estimated price, symbolic meaning, and evolution, we’ve got created a complete data to the Princess of Wales’ heirloom gemstone. Ahead, all of the stuff you’ll wish to find out about Kate Middleton’s engagement ring.

The Historic previous of Kate Middleton’s Engagement Ring

Although Princess Diana was the first one to non-public and placed on the distinctive engagement ring, the inspiration for the diamond-and-sapphire design actually dates once more to the nineteenth century. Be taught all regarding the historic previous of Kate Middleton’s bauble underneath.

1840: The inspiration behind the design was born.

The inspiration behind the royal bauble’s beginnings dates once more to 1840: Ahead of his nuptials to his future partner, Queen Victoria, Prince Albert requested British jeweler Garrard to create a specific brooch fabricated from diamonds and sapphires for her. Immediately after the earlier monarch acquired the current, it grew to turn into a staple in her wardrobe. “She found she beloved it lots that she decided to placed on it on her marriage ceremony ceremony day as her one factor blue on the doorway of her costume,” Garrad’s Ingenious Director Sara Prentice shared with Vogue.

Victoria continued to don the jewel up until her lack of life in 1861, which is when the royal accent grew to turn into a crown heirloom—meaning it may always be inside the possession of the reigning British monarch. Subsequent British rulers moreover sported the brooch, along with the late Queen Elizabeth II.

1981: Prince Charles picked an engagement ring impressed by the brooch.

Sooner than Prince Charles purchased down on one knee, he reportedly launched his future partner, Princess Diana, with plenty of engagement rings to pick out from—definitely one among which was a diamond-and-sapphire ring from Garrard that reminded him of his mother’s brooch. Lady Di ended up selecting the massive sapphire because of it was allegedly paying homage to her mother’s engagement ring, nonetheless some acknowledged she chosen the piece because of it matched her blue eyes.

The good blue stone actually broke royal customized, nonetheless. Given that ring was a stock piece in Garrard’s catalog, not a bespoke design like earlier royal engagement rings, non-royals would possibly private it—which didn’t go over properly with the royal family.

1997: Princess Diana’s sons inherited the ring.

After Diana tragically died in 1997, her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, inherited their mother’s engagement ring. Publications reported that Harry chosen the sparkly bauble from Diana’s assortment, nonetheless when William was getting ready to counsel to Kate, Harry reportedly gave it to his brother. Nonetheless, Harry refuted this declare in his memoir, Spare, asserting that William had always been the rightful proprietor. However, Diana’s former royal butler, Paul Burrell, confirmed that the distinctive story was true: Harry inherited the ring.

2010: Kate debuted the sparkler.

Irrespective of how William purchased his palms on Diana’s engagement ring, he proposed to his girlfriend with the numerous bauble whereas they’ve been on a go to in Kenya in 2010. On November 16, 2010, the Princess of Wales debuted the rock for the first time (which utterly coordinated alongside along with her royal blue Issa costume) when the couple launched their engagement at St. James’ Palace.

All through their interview with ITV, William outlined that he proposed with the ring to honor his mother’s legacy. “It’s my mother’s engagement ring, so I believed it was pretty good because of, clearly, she’s not going to be spherical to share in any of the gratifying and pleasure of all this,” he acknowledged. “That’s my method of conserving her sort of close to all of it.”

The Particulars Behind Kate Middleton’s Engagement Ring

Kate Middleton’s engagement ring is a 12-carat, oval-cut Ceylon blue sapphire from Sri Lanka, surrounded by 14 round-cut solitaire diamonds and set in 18-karat white gold. When Charles proposed to Diana with the distinctive design in 1981, it had an estimated price that fell between $37,500 to $60,000. Now, nonetheless, ensuing from inflation and its important historic previous, Kate’s ring is claimed to be worth as a lot as $520,000.

The Symbolism Behind Kate Middleton’s Engagement Ring

Together with its sentimental and monetary price, the gleaming gemstone moreover has symbolic meaning. Sapphires have prolonged been associated to like, dedication, loyalty, actuality, security, abundance, and luck—all qualities which will be hallmarks of a worthwhile partnership. Kate’s ring moreover represents customized, given its royal historic previous, and remembrance, a fashion for the couple to essentially really feel linked to Diana.

The Evolution of Kate Middleton’s Engagement Ring and Rising Ring Stack

Since 2010, the Princess of Wales’ engagement ring has gone by means of some modifications, every in the case of its bodily look and its accompanying gear. Be taught additional about its evolution proper right here.

A Fully completely different Dimension

When Kate first slipped the sparkler on her left ring finger, it was reportedly too giant, so the couple took it to royal jeweler G. Collins & Sons to get it resized. To restore the free match with out altering the distinctive design, the jeweler added platinum beads to the inside of the band to retain the preliminary dimension.

A Gold Bridal ceremony Band

As quickly as Kate and William tied the knot on April 29, 2011, her ring assortment grew: Alongside along with her engagement ring, she moreover added a thin gold marriage ceremony ceremony band to her left ring finger, a band that she and William allegedly designed with Bristol jewelry agency Wartski. The wedding ring was fabricated from Welsh gold, which was an engagement current to the couple from Queen Elizabeth.

A Diamond Eternity Band

In 2013, the Princess of Wales’ ring stack continued to extend. After she gave begin to Prince William, the couple’s first son, William gave his partner a white gold and diamond eternity band from Annoushka as a gift.

A Promise Ring

One different bauble of Kate’s obtained right here to most people’s consideration following the 2024 Paris Olympic Video video games. In a congratulatory video to Workforce Britain, which the royal couple shared on social media, Kate donned one different ring: the promise ring that Prince William gave her whereas courting. The accent choices each of the couple’s respective birthstones, garnet and pearl, and is prepared on a rose gold Victorian-inspired band.

A Sapphire-and-Diamond Eternity Band

When Kate launched the highest of her chemotherapy remedy in September 2024, following data of her most cancers prognosis in March 2024, she uploaded a video the place one different rock appeared on her left hand. Alongside along with her common stack (other than her engagement ring), she included an eternity band fabricated from sapphires and diamonds. The subsequent month, all through Kate’s first public outing since she accomplished chemotherapy, she was seen carrying the eternity band as quickly as as soon as extra.