From flag colors to personal engravings and family references, these royal rings stand out

Royal engagement rings come in a variety of different colors and designs, each telling a unique story about tradition, heritage and the couple’s journey.

Some rings are simple and timeless, while others incorporate personal or symbolic touches, like references to national flags or family members. Queen Mary of Denmark’s ring, for example, was inspired by the Danish flag, while Prince Philip proposed to Queen Elizabeth with a ring made from stones once used in a tiara worn by his mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.

Other royal rings stand out because of their distinctive features, like the emerald-cut ring King Charles gave to Queen Camilla, or Princess Diana’s unforgettable sapphire ring, which was later passed down to Prince Harry who gave it to Prince William before he proposed to Kate Middleton.

Many of these intricate rings are worth 10s of thousands or 100s of thousands of dollars. Wallis Simpson’s notably auctioned for almost $2 million in 1987.

While some royal rings have been sold or lost to history, several modern royals still wear their bling today. Here are photos of the most iconic royal engagement rings.

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Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother

King George VI proposed to Elizabeth in January 1923 with a ring featuring a Kashmir sapphire center surrounded by diamonds, according to Town & Country.

Starting in 1946, however, the Queen Mother opted to wear a large pearl ring instead, also encircled by diamonds.

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Wallis Simpson

King Edward VIII abdicated the British throne to marry American socialite and two-time divorcée Simpson.

He proposed with a Cartier ring with a 19.77-carat emerald, engraved with “We are ours now 27 x 36,” referencing the couple’s initials (“W” and “E”) and the date of the proposal, Oct. 27, 1936.

The ring was sold for $1.98 million on April 3, 1987, when Simpson’s jewelry collection was auctioned at Sotheby’s in Geneva.

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Queen Elizabeth II

Philip proposed to Elizabeth in July 1947 with a ring he designed himself, crafted by the London jeweler, Philip Antrobus Ltd.

The piece features a three-carat center diamond flanked by 10 smaller pavé diamonds, five on each side, set on a classic platinum band. The stones were repurposed from a diamond-and-aquamarine encrusted tiara worn by Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg, on her wedding day.

In the 2020 book Prince Philip: A Portrait of the Duke of Edinburgh, Ingrid Seward noted that Philip also added a secret inscription to his wife's wedding band known only to him, Elizabeth and the engraver.

According the Seward, the Queen refused to take off her ring for the entirety of their 70-year marriage.

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Grace Kelly

Prince Rainier of Monaco famously gave actress Grace Kelly, later known as Princess Grace, two engagement rings.

He first proposed in 1955 with an eternity band featuring alternating heirloom red rubies and diamonds as a nod to the Monaco flag, per Vogue. The prince later presented Grace with a second ring, a Cartier emerald-cut stone with two bezel-set baguette side stones, while she was filming High Society.

According to Brides, Prince Rainier offered Grace the upgrade when he heard she would be wearing a prop engagement ring in the film. The emerald-cut design has influenced the jewels of many notable women, including Beyoncé and Amal Clooney.

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Queen Margrethe of Denmark

In 1966, Prince Henrik proposed to Margrethe with a toi et moi ring, designed by the French firm Van Cleef and Arpels, and estimated to now be worth around $750,000, per Brides.

The piece features a pair of square-cut diamonds that are mounted diagonally on a yellow gold band.

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Princess Diana

Princess Diana broke with longstanding royal tradition by choosing her engagement ring from the Garrard catalogue, rather than having Prince Charles design it.

The ring features a 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire set in 18-carat white gold, surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds. It was inspired by a brooch that Prince Albert commissioned for Queen Victoria in 1840 — which she wore as her “something blue” on her wedding day.

After Diana’s death in 1997, Prince William and Prince Harry inherited her jewelry collection. William later proposed to Kate with the historic ring.

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Queen Camilla

In February 2005, Prince Charles proposed to Camilla with a five-carat, emerald-cut diamond ring featuring three baguette diamonds on each side in an Art Deco design.

The diamond is believed to have once belonged to his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who was seen wearing it on multiple occasions, including to a performance of Rookery Nook in London in 1986.

According to Prestige Pawnbrokers gemologist Deborah Papas, who spoke to Brides, the ring is estimated to be worth around $288,000.

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Queen Máxima of the Netherlands

Queen Máxima’s engagement ring pays tribute to her husband’s home country, The Netherlands.

Crafted by Dutch jewelry firm Steltman, it features an orange oval diamond centerpiece, symbolizing the country’s national color and honoring the Dutch Royal Family, the House of Orange-Nassau.

The centerpiece is flanked by two emerald-cut diamonds, set between three bands.

09 of 18

Princess Victoria of Sweden

In 2009, Prince Daniel broke with Swedish tradition by proposing to Princess Victoria with a diamond ring.

It was customary for the bride and groom to exchange gold bands for the engagement and secure a diamond ring for the bride on their wedding day, but Daniel went ahead and proposed with a round brilliant-cut diamond.

10 of 18

Kate Middleton

Prince William proposed to Kate in 2010 with his mother’s sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring.

During their ITV engagement interview, William explained that choosing his mother’s ring was his “way of keeping her sort of close to it all.”

In April 2023, Kate shared that she and Diana share the same ring size, meaning the piece remains “exactly the same” as when the late princess wore it.

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Princess Madeleine of Sweden

Financier Christopher O'Neill proposed to Princess Madeleine of Sweden in 2012 with a four-carat Asscher-cut diamond ring.

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Princess Sofia of Sweden

In 2014, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden reportedly proposed to future-Princess Sofia with a ring from court jeweler W.A. Bolin.

The round diamond, encircled by a halo of smaller diamonds, sits on a double-diamond band.

“The ring has fine proportions and fits in well with the charity work she does in South Africa,” jewelry expert Johanna Pietsch told the website Royalista. She estimated that the main diamond is less than a carat.

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Meghan Markle

Prince Harry designed a custom engagement ring for Meghan Markle with Cleave & Company, the late Queen Elizabeth’s longtime jeweler.

The ring features a large cushion-cut center diamond sourced from Botswana, where the couple spent time together early in their relationship, flanked by two stones from his mother’s jewelry collection.

Since their November 2017 engagement, Meghan’s made one notable change to the piece, replacing the original gold band with a thin micro-pavé band.

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Princess Charlene of Monaco

Prince Albert II proposed to Princess Charlene with a ring crafted by Parisian jeweler Repossi.

The bling, featuring a three-carat, pear-cut diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds, is estimated to be worth $65,000, according to InStyle.

Engagement ring expert Maxwell Stone told the outlet, “Because of their distinct and unmistakable cut, pear-shaped engagement rings are believed to represent empowerment, individuality, and independence.”

15 of 18

Princess Eugenie

Jack Brooksbank proposed to Princess Eugenie during a January 2018 Nicaragua trip with a blush-colored padparadscha sapphire ring surrounded by diamonds.

The design of Eugenie’s ring bears a notable resemblance to her mother’s.

16 of 18

Princess Beatrice

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi proposed to Princess Beatrice in Italy in September 2019 with a three-stone platinum and diamond ring by British jeweler Shaun Leane, a favorite of Meghan's.

Following the engagement, the jeweler confirmed that the center diamond is 2.5 carats, while the baguette diamonds on either side are 0.75 carats each, sourced ethically from Botswana.

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Queen Letizia of Spain

Queen Letizia’s engagement ring, made by Suárez Jewellery, is a modern eternity band featuring several baguette-cut diamonds instead of a traditional center stone.

She often pairs the ring with her yellow gold wedding band.

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Queen Mary of Denmark

Queen Mary’s engagement ring from King Frederik was inspired by the Danish flag.

It features an emerald-cut diamond in the center flanked by ruby baguettes, reflecting the flag’s red and white colors.

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