One very special secret that Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip have been keeping under wraps for their entire 73-year marriage is about to be made public.
The monarch was photographed wearing her engagement and wedding rings from the Duke of Edinburgh up until her passing on September 8 at the age of 96. The Duke of Edinburgh tragically passed away on April 9, 2021. Following her royal wedding in 1947, Her Majesty wore a Welsh gold wedding ring as is customary, but Philip had a special message engraved inside the band that, according to reports, only the two royals and the jeweler had seen.
The Prince Philip author, Ingrid Seward: revealed, elucidated “She wears the ring constantly, and it has an inscription inside. Except for the engraver, the Queen, and her husband, no one is aware of what it says.” How lovely!
The message—which we imagine is very heartfelt—will now be more widely known among the royals as the Queen’s rings may now be passed to one of her children or grandchildren.
The Queen’s engagement ring was created by the Duke himself using diamonds that belonged to his mother.
According to legend, Princess Alice’s aunt, Tsarina Alexandra of Russia, and uncle, Tsar Nicholas II, gave her a tiara as a wedding present. The magnificent Romanov jewels that were in the headpiece eventually became a component of the Queen’s exquisite engagement ring when the Duke created it in London.
The center of Her Majesty’s engagement ring, a brilliant-cut stone estimated to weigh 3 carats, is surrounded by smaller pavé diamonds. The Queen considered the ring to be priceless, and having a royal owner only increased its value. However, The Diamond Store estimates that the ring is worth somewhere around £150,000.
The Duke added a rather sweet touch by having his wife’s wedding present be a lovely bracelet made out of the tiara’s remaining diamonds.
The couple announced their engagement in July 1947, and they wed at Westminster Abbey in November. The Queen looked stunning in a sophisticated white satin dress designed by Sir Norman Hartnell. It had a floor-length paneled skirt, a 15-foot train, and a fitted bodice. It was embellished with 10,000 seed pearls and 10,000 crystals that were all imported from the US.
