No, Princess Diana didn't necessarily choose the most expensive ring when she selected her iconic sapphire engagement ring from a Garrard catalog in 1981; she chose it because she loved the design, but it was controversial because it wasn't custom-made and could be bought by the public, though it was still a significant jewel valued at around $37,500-$60,000 at the time, and now worth significantly more due to its history.
Diana chose her sapphire engagement ring from Garrard in 1981.
Love apparently blessed Princess Diana in her final hours. A Paris jeweler says he created a $200,000 diamond ring that Dodi Fayed gave to Diana during dinner Saturday night at the Ritz Hotel, just before they both died in a car crash.
She loved wearing brands, which included Chanel. However, the then Princess of Wales stopped wearing Chanel following her divorce. Apparently, the label's logo, the double interlocking C's, reminded her of the betrayal she had by Prince Charles because of his then-affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.
Source. Following Diana's tragic death in 1997, the sapphire ring was inherited by her son, Prince Harry, who eventually offered it to his older brother, Prince William, before he proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010.
Diana was wearing a ring given to her by Dodi Fayed when she died. It was a £3,000 Bulgari yellow gold band with diamonds. The diamond band set in yellow gold was not an engagement ring and was worn on the fourth finger of her right hand, where her butler Paul Burrell advised her to wear it.
I omitted obey from my vows.
Princess Margaret didn't bow to Princess Diana's coffin at her funeral primarily due to a deep-seated resentment stemming from Diana's 1995 tell-all Panorama interview, which Margaret saw as a severe betrayal of the Royal Family and the Queen; Margaret never forgave Diana for publicly airing grievances and challenging royal decorum, viewing her as a disloyal figure, leading to her snub during the funeral procession despite their initially warm relationship.
As Maxwell Stone told Express, Camilla has worn and redesigned several pieces over the years that were “once loved by Princess Diana,” causing “quite a lot of controversy” by doing so.
Meghan Markle's jewelry collection includes several heirloom pieces from the late Princess of Wales. The Duchess of Sussex wore Diana's iconic "divorce ring" to her 2018 wedding reception, for example. She has since stepped out in earrings, bracelets, and necklaces that once belonged to her late mother-in-law.
Diana's friends are reported to have described Hasnat as the "love of her life" and to have spoken of her distress when she ended their relationship. He, however, is said to be reticent about speaking of how much he may have meant to her or even how much she meant to him.
Camilla Parker Bowles's engagement ring, a five-carat diamond heirloom, is valued at $288,000 and steeped in royal tradition. Both rings are iconic, but Diana's sapphire is more expensive, partly because it's now Kate Middleton's engagement ring.
The ring may be the most well-known piece Middleton inherited from Diana via her husband, but it's far from the only one she's worn. She's also donned earrings, tiaras, necklaces, and bracelets which were once beloved by the People's Princess—a noted jewelry aficionado in her lifetime.
Kate Middleton wears Princess Diana's iconic engagement ring, a 12-carat blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds. Chosen by Diana in 1981, the ring was later given to Kate by Prince William in 2010 as a tribute to his mother, symbolizing love, legacy, and royal continuity.
It has not been seen or exhibited since, and now belongs to Prince William and Prince Harry. Though unconfirmed, many speculate Meghan Markle's engagement ring, which she first wore in November 2017 at her engagement announcement with Prince Harry, includes two diamonds from Diana's famous sapphire and pearl choker.
A 20-carat diamond is quite large, weighing 4 grams (0.2 grams per carat) and appearing roughly the size of a U.S. dime to a bit larger, with dimensions around 20-22 mm long for an oval or about 20-21 mm in diameter for a round cut, though size varies significantly with shape and cut quality.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh (then Sophie Rhys-Jones) did not attend Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, reportedly because her strong resemblance to Diana would have been too upsetting for the grieving crowds, a decision made thoughtfully by Sophie herself. At the time, she was dating Prince Edward, but they were not yet engaged or married.
The Duchess of Sussex inherited some of her late mother-in-law's most stunning pieces. Before her tragic death in 1997, Princess Diana made it clear that she wanted her stunning collection of jewelry to go to her sons' future wives.
Queen Camilla was diagnosed with a form of pneumonia following a chest infection in late 2024, which caused fatigue and led to her missing some public engagements, though she continued with indoor duties and worked towards recovery, managing lingering post-viral tiredness with rest. Her illness was initially described as a "nasty bug," but she later confirmed the pneumonia diagnosis herself, requiring a modified schedule for a period.
The Queen never bowed to anyone during her 70-year reign, except once... Decades ago at a special state funeral, the monarch broke the ultimate royal tradition and bowed her head to the coffin as it went past - but it was for a very important reason...
"I pushed her down the stairs, which gave me enormous satisfaction," Diana told her vocal coach in a recorded conversation in 1992. "I wanted to throttle that stepmother of mine. She brought me such grief."
According to The Associated Press, Diana referred to Prince Philip as "Dearest Pa" in letters from 1992, and the duke offers to help try to patch up her marital problems.
In these moments, Diana would often keep her chin tucked and her head slightly down, making it harder for the photographers to get a clear shot. This subtle act helped her regain some control over her public image and shielded her from the overwhelming exposure that came with being part of the royal family.
So what I say to you now, as your Queen and as a grandmother, I say from my heart. First, I want to pay tribute to Diana myself. She was an exceptional and gifted human being. In good times and bad, she never lost her capacity to smile and laugh, nor to inspire others with her warmth and kindness.