Which Royal Has The Most Valuable Engagement Ring?
Royals are known for living a lavish lifestyle, so it's not surprising that, when they get engaged, the rings are simply stunning.
The diamonds from Queen Elizabeth's engagement ring, given to her by Prince Philip, were taken from a tiara that belonged to his mother, Princess Alice of Greece. Meanwhile, Prince Charles proposed to Camilla Parker Bowles with an Art Deco ring from his grandmother's collection (per Brides).
And Prince William popped the question to Kate Middleton with his late mother, Princess Diana's, former engagement ring, a 12-carat oval sapphire surrounded by diamonds. The ring technically belonged to Prince Harry, but he wanted his future sister-in-law to have it.
"His one thing he kept from his mother, he gave to his brother," Princess Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, said (per New Zealand Herald). "That's selfless, kind and exactly who Diana was."
When it came time to find an engagement ring for Meghan Markle, Prince Harry was hands-on in the design. The ring features a three-carat cushion-cut center diamond from Botswana with two side stones that once belonged to Princess Diana.
Gemologist Grant Mobley told Brides that, while the center stone is estimated to be worth about $95,000 to $155,000, the side stones should be valued at approximately $5,000 each. However, they are likely worth more because they were from Diana's personal collection.
"Anything belonging to the 'People's Princess' is always going to be worth more," he explains.
Kate Middleton has the most expensive engagement ring
Although every royal engagement ring is gorgeous, there is one valued higher than the rest: the ring Prince William gave to Kate Middleton, a 12-carat oval-cut Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds, which originally belonged to the late Princess Diana.
"Kate Middleton's ring has the highest estimated value due to the huge 12ct Ceylon sapphire it features, not to mention the legacy of the ring which once belonged to Princess Diana," Maxwell Stone, creative director of Steven Stone Jewellers, told OK! (via World ABC News). In their publication Crisscut, Steven Stone Jewelers added, "The sapphire is a deep, royal blue, of AAAA quality, making it amongst the most valuable of its kind."
Per The Knot, it's worth about $500,000. Of course, the sentimental value of the ring makes it priceless to Kate and William.
"It's my mother's engagement ring so I thought it was quite nice because obviously she's not going to be around to share any of the fun and excitement of it all," he explained at the time of the engagement (via Express). "This was my way of keeping her sort of close to it all."
Stone adds that all of the royal engagement rings have been a hit with brides-to-be around the world.
"While Kate Middleton's ring definitely sparked a huge trend for sapphire engagement rings, we've had requests for replicas of all these royal rings over the years, which just shows how much influence the royal ladies have on our style," he said.
Meghan Markle's ring is up there in cost
To no surprise, Prince Harry shelled out a lot of money on diamonds for his bride. While he gave his mother's engagement ring – which he inherited — to his brother for Kate Middleton, Harry created a gorgeous three-diamond ring for Meghan Markle back in 2017. According to Harper's Bazaar, the ring reportedly costs between $300,000 and $350,000 — slightly less than Middleton's, but significantly higher than your average engagement ring.
It's not just about the size of the stone, though. In fact, it's all about the clarity of it, and Meghan's diamonds are pretty darn clear, according to experts. "While it is very difficult to tell the clarity without examining the stone, one would imagine Prince Harry would pick something close to flawless," Grant Mobley, a gemologist and director at Pluczenik Diamond Company, told Bustle. "In that case, we would estimate that the value of the center stone would be around $95,000 to $155,000 while the side stones would have an intrinsic value of around $5,000 each."
Of course, the value also goes up now that it's Meghan's ring, just like it's worth more for having the People's Princess' diamonds (via Bustle). It's a piece of history now, which makes it essentially priceless.
Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter has an expensive ring, too
It turns out that it's not just the duchesses who have a whole lot of bling on their fingers. While she might not have an official royal title, Zara Tindall's engagement ring is next in line for most expensive. Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter's ring reportedly cost around $200,000 and has the sweetest story to its design.
In case you're not up on royal knowledge, Tindall is a British equestrian and Olympian. According to Hello! Magazine, the ring was designed with a special low-setting diamond so the athlete wouldn't have to take the ring off while she competed — thoughtful and absolutely stunning. "Zara's ring is a beautiful mix of old-world tradition with a twist of modern design," Mike Fried, CEO of The Diamond Pro, told Hello! Magazine. "Going with the round diamond and adding a split shank setting was a great way to add a touch of modern style to a royal engagement ring."
These rings are royal, which give them a leg up over your average engagement ring, but the quality and thought that went into all of these are well worth the price.