Very little was known about Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall's engagement and wedding rings when she finally married Prince Charles, but during a recent event, it was hard for attendees not to notice the amazing heirloom she sported on her ring finger.
According to a report by In Style Australia, the Duchess of Cornwall recently attended The Royal Society of Literature's 40 Under 40 fellow induction, an assemblage of accomplished writers whom she addressed with a speech. Prince Charles was not present on the occasion.
During the event, an item of jewelry stole the attention of the audience, and it turns out that it was the ring on Duchess Camilla's wedding ring finger. The audience's interest was justifiable because it was a magnificent piece of jewelry with a very long and significant history.
According to the report, Prince Charles proposed to Camilla with the family heirloom, which was handed down to him by his late grandmother. Prince Charles was reportedly very close with the Queen Mother, and photos from the 1980s confirm that it was the same ring that Camilla was wearing. It was unsure where the Queen Mother got the ring, but it was not the same as the engagement ring she received from King George VI.
While Prince Charles had the luxury of preparing this heirloom to gift his present wife, this was not the case for his marriage to Lady Diana Spencer back in the 80s. It was reported that the Prince's approach was far less personal at the time given the constraints of the much-anticipated union.
Reports vary as to how Princess Diana ultimately chose her ring, but it was speculated that instead of selecting a ring for his then future wife, Prince Charles simply sent a catalog to Diana so that she may choose which ring she preferred.
Some reports debunked the impersonal claim and said that it was not a catalog that Prince Charles sent to Diana but rather the entire selection of actual rings so that she may pick what she fancied. She ultimately decided on the Garrard sapphire ring that has now been passed on to Prince William's wife Kate and has become an heirloom on its own.
It was said that at the time of Princess Diana's untimely death, Prince Charles allowed his sons to pick out mementos from their mother's possessions. Prince William chose a gold Cartier watch, and Prince Harry picked out the engagement ring, but the brothers decided to switch when William decided to propose to Kate. It was a significant moment as William said it was his way to make sure that Princess Diana would still be a part of his marriage even though she has passed away.
