Prince William Gave Kate Middleton Princess Diana's Sapphire Engagement Ring

The ring was the moment. When Prince William proposed, he did not reach for a new jewel made for the occasion. He gave Kate Middleton Princess Diana’s sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring, one of the most recognizable royal jewels in modern memory and a design that has been copied for decades.

The engagement was officially announced on November 16, 2010, after the couple became engaged during a private holiday in Kenya the previous month. In their engagement interview, William explained that he had carried the ring in his backpack for about three weeks, keeping it close because he did not want to lose it. He also made clear that the gesture was personal as well as symbolic: giving Kate Diana’s ring was his way of keeping his late mother part of the moment.

That ring has its own story of shorthand elegance. Princess Diana chose it in 1981 from Garrard, the crown jeweler. It is widely described as a 12-carat oval sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds and set in 18-carat white gold. Some accounts say the design was inspired by a Garrard cluster pattern rather than commissioned exclusively for Diana, which only adds to its appeal. It looked royal, but not so ceremonial that it felt untouchable.

That balance is why the ring still resonates. The sapphire gave the piece its saturated blue depth, while the diamond halo sharpened the stone’s outline and made the center gem appear even larger. It is the kind of setting that flatters a colored stone without overwhelming it, and that visual logic has made halo rings a permanent reference point for brides who want presence, not just carat weight.

William and Kate had known each other since they met as students at the University of St Andrews in 2001, and Kate said she was happy but a little daunted by the prospect of joining the royal family. They married on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey, but the ring had already done something more enduring than mark a proposal. It bridged Diana’s era and Kate’s future role as Princess of Wales, turning an engagement ring into a piece of living continuity.