William Gave Kate Diana’s Sapphire Engagement Ring To Keep His Mother ‘Close To It All’

May 15, 2022 by apost team

It's common knowledge by now that when William, Prince of Wales proposed to his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, he did so with his mother Princess Diana's engagement ring. What some may not know, however, is that it was his younger brother Prince Harry who initially inherited it. 

The information was revealed in a documentary about the royal family, in which a former butler who worked for Princess Diana said Prince Harry "selflessly" offered it to his brother for his proposal. 

In the documentary "The Diana Story," released by Amazon Prime in September of 2017, Paul Burrell, a former butler of Diana's, confirmed that Harry originally inherited the princess' engagement ring. According to The Sun, Harry was told to pick out some of his mother's jewels after she died in 1997. One of the gems he had chosen was the $400,000 iconic sapphire ring.

In 2010, when William revealed he was planning to propose to his then-girlfriend Kate, his younger brother offered him the ring as a tribute to their mother. 

William proposed to Kate in 2010 while on vacation in Kenya. According to the duchess, the proposal came as a huge surprise. "He's a true romantic and we had a wonderful holiday in Africa and it was out there in a very quiet lodge and it was very romantic and it was a very personal time for both of us," Middleton told ITV at the time, according to ABC News.

According to William, proposing with Diana's engagement ring meant his mother "didn't miss out" on their special day.

The women of the royal family are known for having beautiful jewelry, especially when it comes to their engagement rings and wedding bands. The late Queen Elizabeth II’s ring came from a tiara that belonged to Prince Philip’s mother, according to Vogue. Until her passing in September 2022, the previous monarch wore her square-cut diamond engagement ring. Camilla, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom, has a diamond ring that once belonged to the Queen Mother, and is reported to be one of the most valuable rings in the royal family.

It’s no secret that Kate now has Diana’s sapphire ring. “Obviously, she’s not going to be around to share in any of the fun and excitement of it all, so this is my way of keeping her sort of close to it all,” William explained. According to Vogue, the ring is now considered to be “priceless” based on its legacy.

"Well as you may recognize now, it's my mother's engagement ring and it's very special to me, as Kate is very special to me now as well. It was only right the two were put together," he said at the time. 

It was a beautiful gesture from Harry to give the ring to his brother so that he could propose to Kate in 2010. According to ELLE, Burrell recalled in the documentary: "Harry said to him: 'Wouldn't it be fitting if she had mummy's ring?'" The former butler said Prince Harry's "selfless" action highlighted the qualities Diana raised her children to have. 

"Then one day that ring will be sat on the throne of England. Harry gave up his precious treasure," Burrell added. "His one thing he kept from his mother, he gave to his brother. That's selfless, kind and exactly who Diana was."

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As Kate ended up becoming the new proud owner of the beautiful ring, Harry got creative when the time came to propose to his now-wife, Meghan Markle. The former prince opted for designing his own piece of jewelry, to which he even added a bit of sentiment. According to The Sun, the yellow-gold ring featured a central stone hailing from Botswana, a country Harry and Meghan have fond memories of, along with two smaller diamonds from Diana's collection. 

Harry proposed to Meghan in November 2017 while enjoying a chicken dinner at Kensington Palace. Referring to the ring, Meghan said it meant Diana was "with us on this crazy journey together." At the time Meghan said:

"Everything about Harry's thoughtfulness and the inclusion of Princess Diana's stones and obviously not being able to meet his mum. It's so important to me to know that she's a part of this with us."

Iconic as Diana's sapphire engagement ring might be, it actually stirred quite the controversy when King Charles' engagement to Diana was first announced. When the couple made their engagement public on Feb. 24, 1981, they also revealed the ring for the first time, which featured a 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire stone, surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds sitting on 18-karat white gold. At the time, the ring was said to have cost Charles a whopping $60,000. Today, it's estimated to be worth as much as $500,000, according to Oprah Mag. 

According to The Sun, there was more controversy surrounding Diana’s sapphire engagement ring. Some people believed she chose the ring based on its size, but others think it had something to do with her own mother’s similar engagement ring.

According to Princess Diana's biographical book, "Diana: Her True Story — in Her Own Words," Charles had initially proposed to her without a ring, as relayed in Oprah Mag. However, he got Diana to choose one from a selection of designs by the then-Crown jeweler, Gerrard. That's when Diana chose the iconic sapphire piece. Her choice, however, did not sit very well with the royal family as it wasn't the norm for a royal to wear jewelry that was not custom-made and available for public purchase. 

In any case, she loved the ring so much that she continued to wear it even after her divorce from Charles. According to Good Housekeeping, Diana and Charles were formally separated in December 1992, but it took close to four years for their divorce to be finalized. One of the most difficult disagreements the pair went through during their divorce settlement was Diana’s title.

While Diana had hoped to keep her title of “Her Royal Highness” — and even Queen Elizabeth thought she should — Charles was “adamant” that she could no longer have it, according to Good Housekeeping. Charles ended up getting his way, and Diana, while still a member of British nobility, lost her formal title. Following that, William made an emotional promise to his mother. According to Burrell, William said:

“Don’t worry, Mummy. I will give it back to you one day when I am king.”

The sapphire ring is one of many royal jewelry pieces that are passed throughout the royal family. It's not uncommon for royal family members to borrow jewelry pieces from one another as seen at Prince Philip’s funeral. Kate wore another borrowed item at the funeral, as her four-stranded Japanese choker with a diamond clasp was also once worn by Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth.

What is your favorite piece of royal jewelry? Let us know your thoughts, and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!