The engagement ring of a duchess that outsparkles some queenly gems

 

You'd think queens would get the best engagement rings but sometimes their lowlier relatives trump them. Step forward the Duchess of Edinburgh who has a sparkler that can outdazzle many a regal gem.

Sophie Rhys-Jones first showed off this three stone stunner on January 6th 1999 when she and Prince Edward announced their engagement. The couple had been dating for years but wedding bells had been singularly silent until, on Epiphany, they had an epiphany of their own and revealed they were, actually and after all, intending to get married.

There was a rather sweet walk in the royal gardens to meet the press with both bride and groom to be seeming to revel in each other's company, always a good start to plans to marry. But as they spoke happily of their impending nuptials, there was a rival for attention. Yes, that ring.

Sophie's engagement ring is made up of three diamonds. The huge stone in the middle is the star of the show but it's flanked on both sides by gems with their own story to tell. For Prince Edward had them shaped into hearts, adding a rush of romance that wasn't really associated with the House of Windsor at the time.

In fact, this was a rather unusual ring all round for the Royal Family of the late 20th century. It was all diamonds. For decades, royal couples had chosen a mix of stones for engagement rings with sapphires proving very popular - Diana's ring was the most famous but Princess Anne chose blue stones for both her engagement jewels. In fact, the last famous all diamond engagement ring had been the one presented by Prince Philip to his bride, Elizabeth, ahead of their 1947 wedding and he'd had to borrow gems from an old tiara of his mothers to create that famous gem. So Edward and Sophie were nodding to history while bucking a trend all at the same time.

The ring was created by Garrard and was said to have cost around £105,000 although its worth now would be much higher. It's one of the most expensive rings in Royal Family romance lore and easily outdazzles several worn by queens or consorts in waiting.