The late Princess Diana and reigning Queen Camilla’s personal lives have been a part of much tabloid gossip, particularly concerning their respective marriages to King Charles.
Naysayers have been quick to pit the two ladies of Buckingham Palace against each other. Although some claims were based on conjecture, there was still a strong claim that Camilla had broken Diana’s marriage, among other allegations.
However, aside from their shared personal lives, both Camilla and Diana exhibit a strong similarity in their fashion and style statements. Curious? Well, let us explain how it turned out.
When Princess Diana chose the ring in 1981, it wasn’t custom-made; she picked it from the Garrard catalogue, causing a stir among royal insiders who preferred bespoke jewelry. #KateMiddleton #princessdiana #PrinceWilliam #PrinceHarry #diamondhedgehttps://t.co/d6P8dp23xE pic.twitter.com/WpdDZa5WWQ
— Diamond Hedge (@DiamondHedge) September 11, 2025
Dating back to July 1981, the People’s Princess Diana chose her engagement ring with a gorgeous sapphire centerpiece crafted by Gerrard. But its design was not something new and was, in fact, inspired by a precious heirloom which had been a part of the royal collection since 1840.
Well, this was given to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert, just the night before their wedding. Gladly accepting this token of love, she had even flaunted this unique piece of jewelry as a part of her wedding gown. Thereafter, she continued to wear it on various occasions, which then came to be known as Prince Albert’s Brooch popularly.
Years later, Queen Elizabeth also began wearing the brooch as a part of her ensemble, including to a vast number of high-profile events. And now, Queen Camilla seems to have continued this tradition and is often seen wearing it, including during two recent state visits, which signals how close it has been for her.
A Close Look At Princess Diana’s Engagement Ring
On the other hand, Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring was no less than a precious gem in itself. Its design consisted of the stone surrounded by several smaller solitaire diamonds. However, her choice of ring also brought along a lot of controversy, since she picked it up from a rather public catalogue of the designer Gerrard. As a result, the Royal Family was upset, since the ring became no longer unique.
Nonetheless, the ring did not step back from becoming one of the most iconic jewelry pieces across the world, and not to forget, one of the most expensive ones. At the time when the then-Prince Charles proposed to Princess Diana with it, the ring was estimated to be valued at around $37,500-$60,000. Fast forward to today, the valuation of the ring stands at $5,20,000.
After Diana passed away, her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, inherited the precious piece from their mother. In 2010, William proposed to Kate Middleton with the same ring, something she still wears today.
Why Diana Never Wore That Iconic Brooch Which Inspired Her Ring
That being said, Princess Diana, unfortunately, never got to wear the heirloom brooch passed down from Queen Victoria, something which later inspired her own engagement ring.
DIANA’S CHOICE OF A SAPPHIRE RING MAKES SENSE NOW!!! IT REPRESENTS THE FIRMAMENT AND ICE WALL. pic.twitter.com/ltRULSxseg
— Qmum (@Nancy023922191) October 1, 2024
The simple reason behind such a fate is said to be that at the time of Diana’s reign, Queen Elizabeth was still in possession of the brooch and was constantly wearing it during many of her state visits.
However, specifically why the Queen never passed on the brooch to Diana remains unanswered to this date.
