Prince Philip's Mom Gave Up Stones From Her Wedding Tiara for Elizabeth's Engagement Ring
Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II were married on November 20, 1947.
Coming from a difficult financial situation, Philip accepted his mother’s help, who donated her tiara diamonds to create Elizabeth’s engagement ring band.
Season 3 of The Crown will feature Prince Philip’s parents in one episode.
Many of the royals' engagement rings have touching stories behind them. But the history surrounding Queen Elizabeth's sparkler may just take the cake.
Her Majesty's ring — which features a three-carat, round-cut, diamond center stone and 10 smaller ones set in platinum — was created all thanks to the sacrifice of Prince Philip's mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.
At the time, even though Prince Philip was born a Greek prince, his family was not as well-off as one would imagine. Philip's father, a major-general in the Greek army, left his family when he was very young. Due to war, Philip, his mother, and siblings were forced to flee the country and eventually settled in Paris, according to the Standard.
When it came time for him to propose to his then-girlfriend Elizabeth, in 1946, Philip's financial situation was not ideal, especially considering he was dating the heir to the British throne. So, his mom stepped in to help. Alice offered to let Philip use the diamonds in the tiara she was given on her wedding day to create the band for his beloved, according to Town & Country.
Prince Philip accepted his mother's generous gift and worked with jewelers Philip Antrobus Ltd. to create the piece. On July 10, 1947, Elizabeth and Philip announced their engagement to the public, and the ring made its debut.
While the ring is undoubtedly stunning, a jewelry expert revealed on the ITV program A Very Royal Wedding that its three-carat center gem size is "relatively modest" for a princess. As Express noted, Philip likely made the ring this way considering the "mood of Britain at the time," since the country had just come out of World War II.
Also bearing in mind the climate of the country, Elizabeth and Philip's wedding on November 20, 1947, was relatively less extravagant than most royal nuptials. In fact, Elizabeth saved war-rationing coupons to go toward the cost of her gown.
Today, although Her Majesty is often seen in her signature white gloves, she has been spotted wearing the gem from time to time.
According to Metro, her engagement ring is now likely to be worth around $257,000. But the story behind the gorgeous heirloom has a value that can never truly be measured.
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