Franklin Dean
Queen Elizabeth II's engagement ring is a platinum ring set with 11 diamonds, including a 3-carat centre stone. The ring was designed by Prince Philip, who sourced the diamonds from a tiara owned by his mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg. The engagement ring is estimated to be worth £200,000. The wedding ring given to Queen Elizabeth by Prince Philip was made of Welsh gold, continuing a tradition for British royal brides. Queen Elizabeth was buried with her Welsh gold wedding band, which she never took off.
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What You'll Learn
- Queen Elizabeth's wedding ring was made of Welsh gold
- Her engagement ring was designed by Prince Philip
- The engagement ring features a 3-carat diamond from his mother's tiara
- The leftover diamonds were used to make a bracelet for Elizabeth
- The ring's whereabouts are unknown, but it may have been inherited by Princess Beatrice
Queen Elizabeth's wedding ring was made of Welsh gold
Queen Elizabeth II's wedding ring was crafted from pure Welsh gold from the Clogau St David's gold mine. The use of Welsh gold in royal wedding rings began in the early 1920s when a nugget of pure gold from the Clogau St David's mine in North Wales was presented to the royal family as a gift. This nugget was used to make the wedding ring of Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, when she married the future King George VI.
The tradition of using Welsh gold in royal wedding rings continued, with the same nugget used to make the wedding bands for Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, and Princess Diana. The royal family was gifted another 36 kg of pure Welsh gold in the 1980s, which was used to make rings for the Duchess of York and possibly the Countess of Wessex.
The most recent royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018 also featured Welsh gold wedding rings. The palace revealed that Meghan Markle's ring was fashioned from a piece of Welsh gold gifted by Queen Elizabeth II. This continued a long-standing tradition of British royal brides wearing Welsh gold wedding rings.
Welsh gold is highly prized and considered a precious commodity, being the rarest and most expensive gold in the world. It has played a significant role in royal marriages for nearly 100 years, providing the precious metal from which royal nuptial rings are forged. The strong connection between the House of Windsor and Wales goes beyond just titles, with Wales supplying the gold for many royal wedding rings.
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Her engagement ring was designed by Prince Philip
In 1946, Prince Philip designed Queen Elizabeth's engagement ring with diamonds from a tiara previously owned by his mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg. The tiara was gifted to Philip by his mother, who knew that he would soon propose to Princess Elizabeth. The engagement ring features a three-carat centre stone, flanked by 10 smaller diamonds embedded into raised shoulders and set in platinum. The centre diamond is a three-carat Old European cut. The ring was designed with a prestigious Bond Street jeweller, Philip Antrobus Ltd.
The engagement ring was debuted to the world in the summer of 1947, following the formal announcement of their engagement on 10 July 1947. The couple had met in 1939 when Elizabeth was just 13, during a royal tour. They began exchanging letters, and in 1946, Philip asked King George VI for his daughter's hand in marriage. The King granted his request on the condition that the engagement be kept quiet until Elizabeth's 21st birthday the following April.
The ring is considered one of the most iconic engagement rings in existence today. It is estimated that the ring would cost around £200,000 to create today, although its association with the Queen and its historical provenance would make it priceless. The design carries all the noblesse of Queen Elizabeth, with eight eagle prongs, a hidden halo, and a spread of diamonds creating a lot of sparkle, fit for a Queen.
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The engagement ring features a 3-carat diamond from his mother's tiara
Queen Elizabeth II's engagement ring is steeped in history and is one of the most iconic engagement rings in existence today. The ring features a 3-carat Old European cut diamond sourced from a tiara that belonged to Prince Philip's mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg. The tiara had Romanov roots and was a wedding gift to Princess Alice from Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra of Russia.
The engagement ring was designed by Prince Philip, who proposed to the Queen in 1946. The ring was custom-made by the prestigious Bond Street jeweller, Philip Antrobus, and features a cushion diamond in the centre, flanked by 10 smaller diamonds embedded into raised shoulders and set in platinum. The ring is estimated to be worth around £200,000 today, although its association with the Queen and its historical significance make it priceless.
The remaining diamonds from Princess Alice's tiara were used to create a diamond and platinum bracelet, which was given to Queen Elizabeth as a wedding gift by Prince Philip. This bracelet, known as the Edinburgh Wedding Bracelet, has been worn by the Duchess of Cambridge in recent years and features diamonds with Russian imperial heritage.
Queen Elizabeth wore her engagement ring throughout her life and was buried with her Welsh gold wedding band, which was made from the same nugget of gold as the wedding rings of the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, and Princess Diana. The recipient of Queen Elizabeth's engagement ring has not been publicly disclosed, but it is speculated that it may have been inherited by her daughter, Princess Anne, or her granddaughter, Princess Beatrice.
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The leftover diamonds were used to make a bracelet for Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth II's engagement ring is one of the most iconic rings in existence today. The ring, which consists of a three-carat centre stone flanked by ten additional diamonds, was designed by her husband, Prince Philip, and made by the jewellery firm of Philip Antrobus in 1947. The gemstones were sourced from a tiara that belonged to Prince Philip's mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, also known as Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark.
The tiara, however, had more than enough diamonds for the ring, so Prince Philip used the leftover diamonds to design a one-of-a-kind bracelet for his bride-to-be. The bracelet was a wedding gift to Queen Elizabeth, who wore it for numerous events and portraits throughout her 73-year marriage. It was one of the Queen's favourite jewellery pieces. In 2015, the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine, Princess of Wales, became the only other person to wear the bracelet on loan.
The bracelet, along with Queen Elizabeth's engagement ring, is a testament to the thoughtful and meaningful use of heirloom diamonds. The diamonds in both pieces carry historical and sentimental value, with roots tracing back to Russian imperial heritage. The bracelet, in particular, serves as a symbol of the love and dedication between Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth.
The bracelet's design is described as elaborate and features diamonds and platinum. It was crafted by the same jewellers who made the engagement ring, Philip Antrobus. This coordination ensured a cohesive and elegant look for the Queen's bridal jewellery.
The leftover diamonds from Princess Alice's tiara were not only used to create the bracelet but also played a role in another significant project: the construction and design of the Royal Yacht Britannia. This demonstrates the versatility and enduring value of the diamonds, which have left an enduring legacy in the British Royal Family.
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The ring's whereabouts are unknown, but it may have been inherited by Princess Beatrice
Queen Elizabeth II's engagement ring, given to her by the late Prince Philip, is an Art Deco piece made of platinum and diamonds. The centre diamond is a 3-carat Old European cut, flanked by smaller pavé-set diamonds. The ring was designed with a Bond Street jeweller and is estimated to be worth £200,000. The diamonds were sourced from a tiara that belonged to Prince Philip's mother, Princess Alice, and it is believed that the ring was buried with the Queen.
Princess Beatrice's engagement ring also features a prominent 3-carat round diamond, accented with numerous smaller diamonds along the band. It was designed by British jeweller Shaun Leane and bears a striking resemblance to Queen Elizabeth's ring. Princess Beatrice has never publicly disclosed what she inherited from the late Queen, but given their close relationship, it is possible that she inherited the engagement ring.
Princess Beatrice's wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020 also had several connections to the Queen's wedding. Beatrice wore a vintage dress by Norman Hartnell, the same designer who created the Queen's wedding dress. She also borrowed the diamond fringe tiara from the Queen for her wedding, which was the same tiara the Queen wore on her wedding day.
Princess Beatrice's engagement ring is also connected to the Queen through its Art Deco design and diamond accents. It is possible that the ring was designed with this resemblance in mind as a sentimental nod to the Queen. Therefore, it is plausible that Princess Beatrice inherited Queen Elizabeth's engagement ring, given their close relationship and the presence of several wedding connections between the two.
However, it is important to note that the whereabouts of the Queen's engagement ring are currently unknown, and it may have been kept in the family or passed on to another descendant. The ring may also be kept as a private heirloom, away from public view.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Queen Elizabeth was buried with her Welsh gold wedding band, which she never took off.
Prince Philip designed the wedding ring and gave it to Elizabeth as a gift.
The wedding ring was made from a nugget of gold mined at the Clogau St. David's mine in Bontddu, which was given to the Windsors in 1923. It has become a tradition for British royal brides to wear Welsh gold wedding rings.
