Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones announced their engagement in 1999 after several years of dating, and Sophie debuted a stunning diamond ring to the press at her engagement photocall. Sophie, Countess of Wessex’s ring is classic in design, and it echoes the famous engagement rings owned by the Queen and Meghan Markle.
Sophie and Edward’s engagement marked the last of a generation, and the Queen and Prince Philip were delighted that their youngest child would tie the knot.
A statement from the palace at the time read: “The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are delighted to announce the engagement of their youngest son, Prince Edward, to Miss Sophie Rhys-Jones.
“The couple sought the permission of their respective parents between Christmas and the New Year. Both families are thrilled at the news.”
Prince Edward opted for a trilogy diamond ring for Sophie, complete with two romantic heart-shaped stones.
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Claire Beatson, General Manager of lab-grown engagement ring brand Nightingale, said of Sophie’s ring: “Another design from royal jeweller Garrard.
“A two-carat oval diamond flanked by two heart-cut diamonds combine to make this stunning ring.”
According to the jeweller, Sophie’s engagement ring is worth £115,000, making it one of the cheaper engagement rings belonging to the Royal Family.
But there are similarities between Sophie’s ring and the sparklers belonging to the Queen and Meghan Markle which are worth £205,000 and £140,000 respectively.
The Queen’s engagement ring features a large central stone adorned with diamond clusters either side, and it has a particularly romantic background.
Claire said: “The Queen’s engagement ring has a beautiful origin story.
“Prince Phillip realised he didn’t have the money to buy a fitting engagement ring for Her Majesty, so turned to his mother who donated a beautiful three-carat centre diamond from her own collection.”
With its similar design, Sophie’s engagement ring can be seen as a touching tribute to the Queen and Prince Philip.
While Sophie’s engagement ring looks most like the Queen and Meghan Markle’s, there are also links between Sophie’s ring and another famous royal ring.
Princess Diana’s engagement ring was also crafted by the royal jeweller Garrard.
The stunning 12-carat oval sapphire and diamond cluster ring was actually featured in the Garrard catalogue at the time, and Diana adored it for its royal blue hue that matched her eyes.
The iconic ring has belonged to Kate Middleton for more than a decade since Prince William proposed to her with it during a trip to Kenya in 2010.
