Here's The Little-Known History Behind Duchess Kate's Sapphire Blue Engagement Ring

Here's The Little-Known History Behind Duchess Kate's Sapphire Blue Engagement Ring
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Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Duchess Kate’s blue sapphire and diamond engagement ring still remains every bit iconic to this day.

Many know that the ring holds a special place in the royal family’s heart. It had belonged to Princess Diana and was given to Kate when Prince William proposed on a trip to Kenya in October 2010. Prince William said the ring (reportedly worth more than $500,000) was a “way of making sure my mother didn’t miss out on today and the excitement.”

While rumor has it that Harry was initially supposed to receive their mother’s ring, the inspiration behind the family heirloom is about a century-and-a-half long. 

In 1840, Prince Albert wished to create something special for his fiancée, Queen Victoria. According to Vogue, the prince commissioned notable British jeweler House of Garrad to create a sapphire blue brooch with diamonds for his bride, a piece that soon became the queen’s favorite. 

Sarah Prentice, the creative director behind Garrad, told Vogue that Victoria “loved it so much that she decided to wear it on her wedding day as her something blue on the front of her dress.” She sported the piece up until Prince Albert’s death in 1861, but ensured the brooch would become one of the royal family’s many heirlooms.  

Queen Elizabeth later inherited the beloved jewel, sporting it under her shoulder at a plethora of royal events over the years: garden parties, royal ascots, meetings with American presidents and foreign engagements were just some of the times the queen proudly showed off the antique.

And when it came time for Prince Charles to propose to Diana, the couple ended up selecting a “sapphire-and–diamond cluster Marguerite ring” from Garrad, a design that was almost identical to his mother’s 19th-century royal blue brooch. 

“I would imagine growing up being surrounded by your mother and your grandmother [with] such beautiful, incredible jewelry...it would stick with you,” explained Prentice to Vogue

Now, the world awaits the next royal engagement. We’re waiting, Harry! 

h/t Vogue

Kate Middleton's Most Stylish Looks
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Kate looked casual and cool in a Jonathan Saunders sweater while attending a children's rugby game in New Zealand on April 13, 2014. (credit:Getty Images)
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Kate was a standout in a pleated Emilia Wickstead dress as shearrived in Dunedin, New Zealand on April 13, 2014. (credit:Getty Images)
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The Duchess of Cambridge glowed in a Jenny Packham gown as she arrived at a London charity event on June, 9, 2011. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Kate exuded elegance in a body-hugging Jenny Packham dress while attending a state reception in Wellington, New Zealand on April 10, 2014. (credit:Getty Images)
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The Duchess wore a chic Zara blazer for a wine tasting event in New Zealand on April 13, 2014. (credit:Getty Images)
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Kate stopped traffic in a lovely floral-print frock by L.K Bennett while arriving at the Royal Australian Airforce Base in Brisbane on April 19, 2014. (credit:Getty Images)
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Kate looked casual, but chic in Hobbs while visiting Uluru/Ayers Rock in Australia in April 2014. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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The Duchess kept things classy with a teal suit by LK Bennett while visiting Leicester on the first date of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee in March 2012. (credit:Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images)
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Kate attended the UK red carpet premiere of "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" in a Roland Mouret gown on December 5, 2013. (credit:Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)
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Kate opted for a dramatic Diane von Furstenberg printed frock during a trip to the Blue Mountains in Australia on April 17, 2014. (credit:Getty Images)
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The Duchess sported a tan Malene Birger frock during a welcome ceremony in Yellowknife, Canada on July 5, 2011. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Kate dressed down in a ME+EM ensemble to sail with Team New Zealand on April 11, 2014. (credit:Getty Images)
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The Duchess stepped out in an ice blue brocade Alexander McQueen skirt suit for the annual Trooping the Colour Ceremony on June 14, 2014. (credit:Getty)
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The Duchess arrived at UK's Creative Industries reception in July 2012 wearing a classy gray Roksanda Ilincic dress. (credit:Mark Cuthbert via Getty Images)
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Kate channeled Princess Diana in a red military-esque Catherine Walker coat while arriving in New Zealand on April 7, 2014. (credit:AP/SNPA)
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The Duchess of Cambridge stole the show in an Alice Temperley gown at the UK royal film premiere of "War Horse" in January 2012. (credit:Mark Cuthbert via Getty Images)
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Kate turned heads in this Alexander McQueen coat on day four of the Royal Tour to New Zealand on April 10, 2014. (credit:Getty Images)
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The Duchess stunned in a teal Jenny Packham gown while attending the London Olympic gala in May 2012. (credit:Mark Cuthbert via Getty Images)
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The Duchess of Cambridge sported a Michael Kors coat dress while visiting the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia on April 25, 2014. (credit:Getty Images)
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The Duchess donned a lovely white cocktail dress by American designer Leila Rose at a reception in Canberra, Australia on April 24, 2014. (credit:Getty Images)
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The Duchess looked chic and polished as she arrived in Alberta, Canada in May 2011. (credit:Julian Parker via Getty Images)
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Kate appropriately donned a red Catherine Walker ensemble during a departure ceremony in Calgary, Alberta on July 8, 2011. (credit:Julian Parker via Getty Images)
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Kate attended the Royal Variety Performance on November 13, 2014 wearing an elegant black lace gown by American designer Diane Von Furstenberg. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Kate donned an Alexander McQueen coat for the Easter Sunday services at St. Andrews Cathedral in April 2014. (credit:Getty Images)
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Kate wore a long-sleeved nude and lace Alexander McQueen dress for a Buckingham Palace garden party in June 2014. (credit:Getty)
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Kate kept things simple in a white Jaeger dress as she attended a breakfast reception in London in October 2014.
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The Duchess sparkled in a silver Jenny Packham gown at the Tusk Foundation Gala in September 2013. (credit:Getty)
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The Duchess of Cambridge stunned in another Jenny Packham dress on October 24, 2013. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Kate proudly sported a red and white ensemble during a Canada Day celebration on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on July 1, 2011. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)

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