The story behind Duchess Sophie's royal rings as the mystery of her bare finger sparks questions
On Monday, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, was photographed without her wedding ring during her visit to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.
The 60-year-old was spotted enjoying an ice cream cone on the first day of the event, but eagle-eyed fans quickly noticed her bare ring finger.
The following day, she was spotted wearing just her trilogy engagement ring, which she normally wears layered next to her gold wedding band.
Social media users have speculated why she chose not to wear the rings, though it is not the first time the Duchess has been seen without them.
It's possible that practical reasons such as resizing, maintenance or the extreme heatwave in the UK could explain the absence of the rings.
It has been 26 years since Sophie and the late Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward, married at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on June 19, 1999.
They tied the knot in front of 500 guests and 200million viewers who tuned in to watch the event on television.
It has been 26 years since Sophie and the late Queen's youngest son, Prince Edward , married at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on June 19, 1999
After six years of dating, Sophie and Edward revealed their engagement on January 6, 1999.
The engagement ring, reported to be worth upwards of £70,000, features a two-carat central oval diamond flanked by two heart-shaped diamonds, designed by Garrard, the same jeweller who created Princess Diana's iconic sapphire ring.
The ring symbolises 'enduring love' and the 'trilogy' design represents the past, present, and future.
Edward had proposed to Sophie just before Christmas while they were on holiday on Windemere Island in the Bahamas, but agreed to keep it secret so he could ask her father for permission.
'We are the best of friends, and we happen to love each other very much,' Edward said, as Sophie showed off her diamond engagement ring at a photocall in the gardens of St. James' Palace.
Sophie's gold wedding band is made from the same Clogau nugget as royals such as Princess Anne and the late Queen Elizabeth II.
There is a tradition with the Royal Family for wedding rings to be made from a single Welsh gold nugget from the Clogau gold mine. Only a sliver of the original nugget remains.
In November 1981, the Royal British Legion presented the Queen with a 36-gram piece of 21-carat gold for future royal wedding rings.
Sophie is pictured wearing her gold wedding band in March, 2022
Last year, she swapped out her pair of rings for alternatives, including an 'Africa' ring from Giulia Barela worth around £128. Edward and Sophie are pictured in Malta in 2024
This nugget was used for Sarah, the Duchess of York, in her marriage to Prince Andrew in 1986.
Sophie also received a ring from this nugget upon her marriage to Edward in 1999.
Their rings were made in a traditional design by Crown Jeweller David Thomas of Asprey and Garrard.
Sophie often mixes and matches which jewellery she wears.
Last year, she swapped out her pair of rings for alternatives, including an 'Africa' ring from Giulia Barela worth around £128 which she wore when she visited Malta.
Sophie also removed the ring on visits throughout the coronavirus pandemic, for hygiene reasons.
The most expensive royal engagement rings
MailOnline has compiled a rich list of the Royal's engagement rings, which reveals those with the greatest value and most rare stones.
The Princess of Wales: Value: £500,000+
Ring: Originally Princess Diana's engagement ring, the 12-carat oval-cut Ceylon blue sapphire is surrounded by 14 round-cut solitaire diamonds, set in 18-carat white gold.
Announcement: When William and Kate got engaged, on November 16, 2010, while on holiday in Kenya, he revealed that he had been carrying the sapphire and diamond engagement ring he inherited from his mother, Princess Diana, in his rucksack.
The couple had been dating for eight years before William popped the question in a log cabin at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, where they had been staying on safari.
'We had been talking about marriage for a while, so it wasn't a massively big surprise,' William said in the couple's engagement interview with ITV News' Tom Brady. 'I took her up somewhere nice in Kenya and I proposed.
'I had been carrying it around with me in my rucksack for about three weeks before that and I literally would not let it go. Everywhere I went I was keeping hold of it because I knew if it disappeared, I would be in a lot of trouble….
'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 – this was my way of keeping her close.'
Queen Camilla: Value: £240,000
Ring: Once belonging to the late Queen Mother, the five-carat emerald-cut diamond is flanked by three baguette diamonds on each side, in an Art Deco style design.
Announcement: On February 10, 2005, 35 years after they met, and a decade after their affair rocked the Royal family, Charles and Camilla finally announced their engagement.
It is not known where the future King proposed but Camilla has confirmed that he got down on one knee to pop the question. The couple tied the knot in a civil ceremony at Windsor's Guildhall on April 9, 2005.
The Duchess of Sussex: Value: £150,000+
Ring: Designed by Prince Harry, Meghan's yellow gold engagement ring features a cushion-cut diamond, from Botswana, which is estimated to be between 2.5 and 3 carats. The central stone is flanked by two diamonds which belonged to his mother Diana. She has recently reset the ring onto a slim, diamond-paved band.
Announcement: Harry and Meghan announced their engagement on November 27, 2017, after meeting on a blind date in London. The prince proposed while they were cooking roast chicken at his home in Kensington Palace.
'It was just an amazing surprise,' she said. 'It was so sweet, and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee.'
'She didn't even let me finish,' he added. 'She said: 'Can I say yes.'
'It was a really nice moment. Just the two of us.'
Princess Eugenie: Value: £100,000+
Ring: A rare soft pink Padparadscha sapphire, named after the colour of a Lotus blossom, surrounded by ten round-cut diamonds, with two pear-shaped side stones, on a yellow gold band.
Announcement: Buckingham Palace announced the engagement of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, former manager of Mayfair's Mahiki nightclub, on January 22, 2018, after they had got engaged on holiday in Nicaragua. In a series of tweets, her mother Sarah Ferguson congratulated her daughter and her fiancé saying the couple 'float with laughter and love' and the announcement was 'Total joy!'.
'We love Jack, and I am so excited to have a son, a brother and a best friend,' the duchess added. 'Eugenie is one of the finest people I know and so together it will be pure harmony.'
Princess Anne: Value: £70,000
Ring: Three-carat oval-cut sapphire ring with three smaller diamonds.
Announcement: Divorced from her first husband Captain Mark Phillips, father of her two children Peter and Zara, Princess Anne's second engagement to Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence was private and low-key.
The couple met when he was serving on the Royal Yacht Britannia and they married in a small ceremony at Crathie Kirk in Scotland on December 12, 1992, as the Church of England didn't allow divorcees to get married. Despite it being her second marriage, the Queen, Prince Philip, the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and Prince Edward all attended the wedding.
The Duchess of Edinburgh: Value: £70,000
Ring: Three-carat white gold diamond ring, nestled between two, smaller pear-shaped stones, made by Asprey and Garrard, now Garrard & Co.
Announcement: Buckingham Palace was bounced into announcing the engagement of Edward and Sophie, on January 6, 1999, after a story in the Sun newspaper announced that they were getting married in the summer. Edward had proposed to Sophie just before Christmas while they were on holiday on Windemere Island in the Bahamas but agreed to keep it secret so he could ask her father for permission. 'We are the best of friends, and we happen to love each other very much,' he said, as Sophie showed off her diamond engagement ring at a photo call in the gardens of St. James' Palace.
Princess Beatrice: Value: £60,000+
Ring: Platinum engagement ring with pavé diamonds on the band, featuring a 2.5-carat round centre diamond flanked by two smaller diamonds.
The ring has an added sophistication of pavé diamonds on the band to bring an additional dimension
Announcement: The Duke and Duchess of York announced the engagement of their eldest daughter Beatrice and family friend Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on September 26, 2019. The couple got engaged during a weekend in Italy.
'We are extremely happy to be able to share the news of our recent engagement,' the couple said at the time. We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together and can't wait to be married.
'We share so many similar interests and values and we know this will stand us in great stead for the years ahead, full of love and happiness.'
Zara Tindall: Value £60,000
Ring: Zara's ring showcases a 1.5 carat solitaire diamond with a four-claw split shoulder design which itself is set with several diamonds.
Announcement: It was on December 21, 2010, that Zara and Mike Tindall announced their engagement by posting a photograph of Zara's left hand resting on Mike's stomach. The former rugby player had been planning to propose for years but finally got down on bended knee when she was watching television. 'I had been thinking about it for ages, waiting to ask,' he later revealed, 'but then my brother got engaged, and so did a certain Duke of Cambridge.
'I was upstairs, plucking up the nerve to do it, while Zara was downstairs watching television. It was all about shock value – I wanted to catch her when it was quiet, and she wasn't expecting anything.
'And it definitely worked! 'She was completely in shock. Then, when she stopped laughing, she said, 'Yes.' That was a relief.' The couple got married at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh the following July and now have three children Mia, Lena and Lucas.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Mariah Carey's astronomical hotel fee REVEALED as R&B diva stays at lavish London Corinthia following her performance at Brighton Pride
is reportedly paying over £250,000 for her hotel stay during her time in the UK. The hitmaker, 56, headlined Brighton Pride over the weekend after arriving on her private jet earlier in the week. And now The Sun has revealed she is staying at one of the top-floor suites at the Corinthia hotel on London's Embankment. Featuring a large terrace, wine cellar, private spa and living room lit with a real fire, the room costs around £20,000 per night. A source told the publication: 'She blocked out two weeks in the best suite. It's only the best for Mariah. 'Her royal gig is a huge deal, so naturally she is living like a queen.' Daily Mail have contacted Mariah's representatives for comment. After performing in Brighton last weekend, Mariah is taking to the stage at Sandringham's royal estate as part of the Heritage Live's large outdoor music concerts on August 15. And it seems Mariah is one of the Corinthia's best guests after Beyoncé reportedly 'bowed down' to the singer in June and 'packed up her £25k-a-night London penthouse for the diva songstress to move in.' The Single Ladies singer, 43, had booked a 12-night stay at the Corinthia while performing at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. But she allegedly moved out at the weekend when self-confessed diva Mariah touched down to play at Capital's Summertime Ball on Sunday. A source told The Sun: 'Superstars as big as Beyonce and Mariah want to stay in only the best hotels. 'Beyonce had been staying in Corinthia's penthouses. 'But when Mariah flew in, Beyonce packed up so Mariah could take over her suites. It was like Beyonce was bowing down to another music queen.' Meanwhile last weekend Mariah wowed fans as she took to the stage for her much-anticipated headline slot at Brighton Pride. The singing superstar put on a leggy display in four figure-hugging outfits as she performed for an impressive two hours. Mariah glittered in a silver gradient dress that she paired with a diamanté pink jacket and silver boots before changing into a blue and turquoise number that kept her legs on full display. Her packed setlist included hits like Vision of Love and Heroes as she gave the long-awaited performance that was initially scheduled for 2020, but was cancelled because of the Covid pandemic. She later wrote on Instagram: 'Thank you so much Brighton Pride for having me tonight! A special heartfelt thank you to the LGBTQ + community for your ongoing support. 'I will always be there for you. Love, MC.' She took the opportunity to show her support for the trans community by embellishing her pink jacket with the phrase 'Protect the dolls'. Elsewhere in the performance, Mariah stunned in a more loosely fitted gold dress and thigh-high boots. She also changed into a longer black dress and open-toed glittery high heels for a more upmarket, glamorous look.
Daily Mail
10 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Locals' fury over plans to build huge solar farm on idyllic countryside made famous by The Vicar of Dibley
Plans to build an industrial-sized solar farm on countryside made famous by The Vicar of Dibley have sparked fury among locals, who claim it will ruin the 'quintessentially English view'. The row centres on a 97-hectre solar project which is planned for fields in Oxfordshire that feature in the opening credits of the iconic 1990s BBC sitcom starring Dawn French. The landscape, made up of patchwork fields, farmland and small villages, is also loved by the thousands of commuters who travel up and down the M40 to London. The proposed site is located next to Postcombe, near Thame - a village made up of just 120 houses, a garage and a pub - and can be seen from the motorway. Locals have described the potential impact of the solar farm, which would consist of large panels mounted nearly 10ft off the ground, as 'devastating' and 'frightening'. They have also raised concerns that the Labour government's drive towards Net Zero emissions will mean the plans are pushed through regardless of their objections. There are currently several plans for large solar farms in the pipeline for approval across the UK. These include the enormous £800million Botley West project in Oxfordshire, which is set to spread across the Blenheim Estate where Sir Winston Churchill was born. Local Bob Massie, who lives in Postcombe and used to work in video production, said the plans for the solar farm are 'frightening'. He told the Daily Mail: 'It is a fantastic view. It is one of only 12 such views protected in the country nationally. 'The solar farm would be just be truly devastating. It's quite frightening, really. 'Ultimately the view is so beautiful that Richard Curtis chose it as the opening title to The Vicar of Dibley. 'He chose that view because it was quintessentially English, and it was. It was showing a quintessentially English view with fields and villages.' He added: 'I see this view as like the Sycamore Gap tree. I would say this is another national treasure and once it has gone, it has gone forever. 'There is no getting it back.' Mr Massie also raised concerns about the type of solar panels that would be used for the site. He said: 'These are not just the sort of solar panels that you might put on your roof. They are enormous. The whole site is enormous. 'People think of solar panels as being the things that you put on on domestic roofs. These are whacking great industrial solar panels, and it is a vast area.' The plans for the solar farm have been developed by private company Solar2 and are currently being considered by South Oxfordshire District Council. Locals have until the end of the month to lodge their objections - but some fear the plans will be pushed through anyway. Postcombe resident and parish councillor John Poole said: 'We're trying to raise the awareness within the villages and encourage people to have their say on the planning portal. 'We think it is unlikely that South Oxfordshire District Council will support the application because of the national landscape and the protections in place. 'However, it is approved and it goes to appeal it could be down to Ed Miliband saying oh well we have a climate emergency and we need Net Zero.' Mr Massie also raised concerns about whether the application would be pushed through. He said: 'This is not just any view. It is a recognised area of outstanding natural beauty. It's also protected locally by the planning plans and policies. 'I think maybe in the late eighties or something they tried to put a service station in that same sort of area. 'That was thrown out because it was going to spoil the view. There's lots of protections on it. 'I'm hoping that with all these policies protecting it, that will ultimately prevail but you never know with these things. 'Planning regulations under the new the Labour government are apparently going to be simplified and perhaps development that wasn't going to be allowed will be.' Locals have also raised concerns that plans for the site include temporarily blocking a funeral path used to transport coffins from Postcombe to the nearby village of Lewknor. Footpaths in the area close to the proposed site are also used and loved by families and dog walkers. Mr Poole said: 'The solar farm is going to be in fields that have the local footpath that connects Postcombe to Lewknor. 'It's used by a lot of villagers to go between the villages and is a place where people walk their dogs. 'So from our point of view it does impact our daily lives. It's our views, it's our walks. 'When you look over the fields and towards the village all you are going to see is glaring solar panels.' He explained that people in Postcombe are not against renewable energy but are simply opposed to the location of the proposed solar farm. Mr Poole said: 'Practically all the villages here are against the solar farm being built but we are not against renewable energy. 'People in the villages have solar panels on their houses, or they've got electric cars, or both. 'And as a parish, we're just putting solar panels onto our village hall. 'What we don't want is a solar farm thrown upon us that's generating electricity, which is going to be sent to the National Grid or somewhere that doesn't benefit us.'
Daily Mail
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Katie Price left feeling 'isolated and disregarded amid growing rift with daughter Princess and admits she feels like Brooklyn Beckham'
Katie Price has reportedly been left feeling 'isolated and disregarded' amid a growing rift with her daughter Princess. The former glamour model, 46, was banned from appearing on the 18-year-olds fly-on-the-wall ITV television series which aired this week. And now The Sun had revealed their relationship is strained after Princess was told to distance herself from Katie. The star has reportedly even gone as far as to liken her feeling with those of Brooklyn Beckham amid the bitter feud between himself and wife Nicola Peltz and the rest of his family. A source told the publication: 'Katie feels isolated and disregarded. She loves Princess so much and is supremely proud of the young woman she is becoming.' The TV star was hoping to help Princess in her budding TV career and support her in her journey to fame, however ITV2 executives have reportedly made it clear they don't want Katie involved. They continued: 'Princess told her mum that she needed to distance herself publicly and yet chats to her all the time behind closed doors.' Amid the personal/professional divide forming in their relationship they added: 'She feels a bit like Brooklyn Beckham, with no one in the Andre family really speaking to her.' Daily Mail have contacted Katie and Princess' representatives for comment. Katie previously hit out on Instagram after she was banned from her daughter Princess' 18th birthday celebrations. One post showed a sky full of pink clouds with words reading 'I love my daughters' while another read 'my daughters will always be my little princesses' written in the sand. Daily Mail revealed that Katie was unable to attend Princess' celebrations because the event was being filmed for her forthcoming fly-on-the-wall ITV television series - which Katie has been banned from appearing on. Katie also had an awkward gaffe after she was forced to delete her 18th birthday tribute to Princess on Friday - having shared it 48 hours too early. Princess' television show focuses on her home life with her father Peter, his wife Emily and big brother Junior, as well as her career as an influencer, and is being made by Pete's management company, Can Associates. The star has reportedly even gone as far as to liken her feeling with those of Brooklyn Beckham amid the bitter feud between himself and wife Nicola Peltz and the rest of his family Meanwhile Princess has revealed she 'wished she had a happier childhood' as she opened up about the 'dark times' she faced while growing up in her documentary The firm memorably looked after Katie when she was with Pete from 2003 until 2009, the year they sensationally split. But this week, Katie blasted 'people who used to look after me', believed to be referring to Peter Andre 's management company, on the latest episode of her Katie Price Show podcast. Katie said: 'Princess is now officially an adult so mummy and Princess can now go out together. If certain people would let her be seen with me.' Sophie said: 'I noticed in her 18th birthday pictures she was wearing the shoes you bought her for Christmas,' with Katie replying: 'Oh did she? I love that.' Katie added: 'Everyone knows she's doing this documentary - and I'm not in it. Certain people don't think it's good for Princess to be seen with me. Certain people that used to look after me.' Meanwhile Princess has revealed she 'wished she had a happier childhood' as she opened up about the 'dark times' she faced while growing up in her documentary. The rising star addressed the traumatic memories during her childhood, including her mum's high-profile breakups. She candidly admitted: 'I did have a counsellor, I do still see her every now and then. 'But I don't feel like I can really talk, so I just write everything down in my notes. 'I do wish, like, I could have had a more happier childhood. In the sense of like, I had so many things on my plate at a young age.'
