Deborah Chan
Queen Victoria was a lover of jewellery and a style icon. Her wedding ring, given to her by her beloved half-sister, Princess Feodore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, featured a crowned double heart and was inscribed in French with the words 'Unis a Jamais', meaning 'United Forever'. The ring was a symbol of her passionate marriage to Prince Albert, who placed it on her finger on the morning of 10 February 1840.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of wedding | 10 February 1840 |
| Giver of the ring | Prince Albert |
| Designer of the ring | Unknown, possibly Prince Albert |
| Description of the ring | A beautiful ring with a crowned double heart and the inscription "Unis à jamais" ("United forever" in French) |
| Ring's significance | Symbol of the passionate marriage Queen Victoria enjoyed with Prince Albert |
| Other notable rings | An 18-carat gold serpent engagement ring with a large emerald, rubies for eyes, and diamonds for the mouth, given by Prince Albert in 1839 |
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What You'll Learn
- Queen Victoria's wedding ring was a gift from her half-sister, Princess Feodore
- The ring featured a crowned double heart and was inscribed in French
- Prince Albert placed the ring on Queen Victoria's finger
- Victoria wore the ring until her death and was buried with it
- Victoria was known for wearing a whole collection of rings
Queen Victoria's wedding ring was a gift from her half-sister, Princess Feodore
The wedding took place on 10 February 1840 at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace. The Queen noted in her journal the evening before the wedding that she had received a 'beautiful' prayer book from her mother, the Duchess of Kent. Prince Albert, who was the Duchess of Kent's nephew, was also given a prayer book by his aunt on the wedding day. The book was bound in dark green velvet with a bookmark of semi-precious stones, the first letters of which spelled 'VICTORIA': Vermeil, Jargoon, Chrysolite, Turquoise, Opal, Ruby, Jargoon, and Amethyst. The gold fastening was made of two clasped hands, recalling the joining of hands at the royal wedding.
The Queen wrote in her journal: 'I felt so happy when the ring was put on and by Albert'. On their return to Buckingham Palace for the wedding breakfast, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert spent a blissful half-hour together in her dressing room. It was during this time that Queen Victoria gave Prince Albert his wedding band.
Queen Victoria was known for her love of jewellery and was something of a style icon. She was particularly fond of sapphires, so Prince Albert often bought them for her. She also wore a sapphire cluster brooch, designed by Garrard, in her bridal portrait. This piece of jewellery inspired the cluster engagement ring style, which features a nimbus of sparkling diamonds encircling a larger centrepiece.
Queen Victoria was buried with her wedding ring on her finger, in accordance with her private instructions.
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The ring featured a crowned double heart and was inscribed in French
Queen Victoria's wedding ring was a symbol of the passionate marriage she shared with Prince Albert. The ring was placed on her finger on the morning of 10 February 1840, and she attached intense personal importance to it. She even wore it when she was buried, according to her private instructions.
The design of the ring reflected Queen Victoria's belief in the natural association between marriage and rings. This belief was evident in her gesture of giving a ring to her granddaughter, Princess Alix of Hesse, on her marriage to the new Tsar, Nicholas II.
The artist Sir George Hayter captured the moment of Prince Albert placing the ring on Queen Victoria's finger in his large painting of their marriage. The previous evening, the couple had practised the marriage ceremony and the putting-on of the ring. In her journal, Queen Victoria wrote about how happy she felt when the ring was put on by Prince Albert.
Queen Victoria's hands became well-known during her reign for often wearing a collection of rings.
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Prince Albert placed the ring on Queen Victoria's finger
The wedding ring of Queen Victoria was a symbol of the passionate marriage she shared with Prince Albert. On the morning of 10 February 1840, Prince Albert placed the ring on Queen Victoria's finger. The couple had practised the marriage ceremony and the putting-on of the ring the evening before. In her journal, Queen Victoria wrote: "I felt so happy when the ring was put on and by Albert".
The ring was a gift to Queen Victoria from her beloved half-sister, Feodore, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. It featured a crowned double heart and was inscribed in French with the words "Unis à jamais", which means "United forever".
Queen Victoria attached intense personal importance to her wedding ring. She wore it throughout her life and, according to her private instructions, was buried with it on her finger. Paintings and engravings of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's joined hands show the ring to which she attributed such significance.
The wedding ring was not the first piece of jewellery Prince Albert designed for Queen Victoria. In 1839, he proposed to her with an 18-carat gold serpent engagement ring. The head of the serpent was adorned with rubies for its eyes, diamonds for its mouth, and a large emerald at its centre, representing Victoria's birthstone.
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Victoria wore the ring until her death and was buried with it
Queen Victoria was a lover of jewellery and a style icon. Her wedding ring, a symbol of her passionate marriage to Prince Albert, was placed on her finger on the morning of 10 February 1840. The ring was given to Queen Victoria by her beloved half-sister, Feodore, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. It featured a crowned double heart and was inscribed in French with the words 'Unis à jamais', meaning 'United forever'.
Queen Victoria attached intense personal importance to her wedding ring. She wore it until her death, following her private instructions, which stated that she wished to wear it in perpetuity. The ring was placed on her finger when her body was prepared for burial.
The Queen's hands became proverbial in her later reign for wearing a whole collection of rings. She associated rings with marriage, as evidenced by the ring she gave to her granddaughter, Princess Alix of Hesse, on the occasion of her marriage to the new Tsar, Nicholas II.
In addition to her wedding ring, Queen Victoria owned several other notable jewels. She received an 18-carat gold serpent engagement ring from Prince Albert in 1839, with a large emerald set at the centre, representing Victoria's birthstone, and rubies and diamonds adorning the serpent's head. She also owned a sapphire cluster brooch designed by Garrard, a London-based jeweller, which was a wedding gift from Prince Albert.
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Victoria was known for wearing a whole collection of rings
Queen Victoria was a lover of jewellery and a style icon. She was known for wearing a whole collection of rings, including her wedding ring, which was a symbol of her passionate marriage to Prince Albert. The wedding ring was placed on her finger on the morning of 10 February 1840, and she instructed that she would wear it forever.
The night before the wedding, Victoria and Albert practised the marriage ceremony and the putting-on of the ring. She wrote in her journal, "I felt so happy when the ring was put on and by Albert". Victoria's wedding ring was a beautiful ring given to her by her beloved half-sister, Feodore, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. It featured a crowned double heart and was inscribed in French with the words "Unis a jamais", which means "United forever".
Victoria's hands became proverbial in her later reign for wearing a whole collection of rings. She associated rings with marriage, as evidenced by the ring she gave to her granddaughter, Princess Alix of Hesse, on her marriage to Tsar Nicholas II. When Victoria's body was prepared for burial, according to her private instructions, her wedding ring was placed on her finger, along with several other rings, including a simple gold wedding ring that had belonged to the mother of her Highland attendant, John Brown.
Victoria was also known for wearing other iconic jewels, such as a sapphire cluster brooch designed by Garrard, a London-based jeweller. This was a wedding gift from Albert, and Victoria wore it proudly in her bridal portrait. Another famous piece was the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which means "mountain of light" in Persian and is one of the largest cut diamonds in the world at almost 109 carats.
Victoria also owned several snake rings, which were popular in the Victorian era. These rings featured a coiled snake motif, often with the snake's tail in its mouth to symbolise everlasting love. The snake ring gifted to Victoria by Albert in 1839 is one of the most iconic pieces of jewellery in British history. It featured an emerald—Victoria's birthstone—at the centre, with ruby eyes and diamond accents.
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Frequently asked questions
Queen Victoria's wedding ring was gifted to her by her half-sister, Feodore, Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg. It featured a crowned double heart and was inscribed in French with the words "Unis a jamais", which means "United forever".
Queen Victoria's engagement ring was a snake ring designed by her husband, Prince Albert. It featured an emerald—Victoria's birthstone—at its centre, with ruby eyes and diamonds detailing the crown and body.
Queen Victoria was a lover of jewellery and owned several iconic jewels, including a sapphire cluster brooch, the Koh-i-Noor diamond, and a gold and porcelain orange blossom brooch with matching earrings.
Queen Victoria attached intense personal importance to her wedding ring, which symbolised her passionate marriage to Prince Albert. She wore it for the rest of her life and was buried with it on her finger, as per her private instructions.
In Greek and Roman mythology, snakes represent rebirth, protection, and healing. They are often associated with eternal love and fidelity. The unbroken circle formed by the snake's tail in its mouth symbolises everlasting love.
