Royal Jewels

[prince.of.preslav]

William, Catherine and the ring:http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/06Ds7hk8eF7Yz/x610.jpg

ETA: What William said about the ring at the press conference about the ring was: As you may have recognised it's my mother's ring and very special to me He also said it was his woy of involving his mother in the engagement. Quite touching...
The Ring - http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0cKkgzr1qXa0b/610x.jpg
Another one - http://cdnmo.coveritlive.com/media/image/201011/php433Hl0PG-kate-middleton-ring.jpg

Well yes she will be a Princess of the UK, as is William now. However, if the Prince/Princess is not a spouse/sibling/child of the reigning monarch, they ALWAYS have a house name at the end. E.g. Prince Michael of Kent. So she would have to have "of Wales" added to the end of he title if a princess.

Are you sure? Prince Michael is only of Kent because his father happened to be Duke of Kent. But hi also is a Prince of the UK, etc. The fact that this title is not used, doesn't mean he is not... As Kate's fateher is not a royal Duke, there's no dominion to be added after her title and name. So, she'll be just of the UK. Just like The Duke of Edinburgh was created a Prince of The UK, etc.

Bobby

 

[fogdancer]

a bettr pic of the engagement ring from late Diana Spencer

 

[merrymunky]

Best quote ever from Prince William with respect to the ring.

"I have been reliably informed that it is a sapphire with some diamonds!"

Typical bloke!

 

[westjenn]

If it can be assumed that Kate's wedding band will be a plain gold band, in keeping with tradition, do you think William will have a signet ring or a wedding band? I'm wondering what that part of the British Royal tradition is.

 

[prince.of.preslav]

It depends on the royal in question's style and customs in the country, I think. The Prince of Orange and The Prince of Asturias both wear a plain gold band on their left hand ring finger. The Prince of Wales, his brothers, I assume his father before (no rings for Philip now), the rest of the RF and British peers wear/ wore both their signet ring and wedding band on their left hand pinkie. The same for King Carl-Gustaf of Sweden. King Constantine II wears both a signet ring and wedding band on his righ hand pinkie.
I'm not sure if William and Henry have signet rings. Maybe the ring comes with a peerage? If so and William is granted one upon marriage, I guess he'll follow the old British tradition - signet and wedding rings on left hand pinkie.

The Prince of Wales's rings:

King Constantine's rings:

Bobby

 

[JewelFreak]

I don't think British royal men wear wedding rings. That comes to me through the haze of memory from when Charles & Diana were married. Charles already has a signet ring that he wears on his pinky -- PoW feathers, I believe.

Does anybody know the specs on the sapphire -- is it heat treated? Anything else?

I think it's totally lovely of William to give that ring to Kate. This morning I heard an English reporter say she might have wished for something else if she'd had a choice (because of its association w/an unhappy marriage). But I'm sure William gave her a choice; she also doesn't seem too shy to speak up if she doesn't want it. Obviously she is pleased to wear the ring of William's mother & a wonderful princess. Just seems all warm & family-ish to me. (If she didn't want it, I'd be happy to babysit it for her.)

--- Laurie

 

[JewelFreak]

Bobby -- Do you have to be granted a signet ring? Can't you just have one made w/your coat of arms on it? Can't see Charles's very well in your pic -- is it PoW feathers or their arms?

--- Laurie

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Bobby -- Do you have to be granted a signet ring? Can't you just have one made w/your coat of arms on it? Can't see Charles's very well in your pic -- is it PoW feathers or their arms?

--- Laurie

Of course you don't have to be granted one! It's not a title after all. The Queen's elder sons have the crowned first letter of their names (A for Andrew and E for Edward) . It's likely that william will get a crowned W. Or maybe he already has one but doesn't wear it? Anyway, I think that after the wedding he'll either wear a signed and wedding ring together or none of them.
Prince Charles's ring has the PoW's feathers:

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Look at that great closeup of the ring!

 

[fogdancer]

Here at Clogau Gold we are immensely proud of our association with the British Royal family. The Royal family have been wearing wedding rings crafted from a single nugget of Clogau gold extracted from the Clogau St. David’s Gold Mine. For generations the Clogau Gold Mine has been proud of its association with the royal family. For over 150 years the mine has gone through mixed fortunes, the gold veins being most inconsistent and difficult to locate, making welsh gold extremely rare.

In 1911, at the investiture in Caernarfon Castle of Edwards Prince of Wales, the coronet placed on his head by his father, King George the fifth, was fashioned entirely from Clogau Welsh Gold. Edwards was the first English Prince to be invested in Wales.
The tradition was founded by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (Lady Elizabeth in 1923) on her marriage to King George VI (then Duke of York) on April 26th, 1923. Her Majesty’s wedding ring was fashioned from the Clogau gold nugget owned, at the time, by a Mr. Bartholomew. The same nugget was later used by the famous designer W. J. L. Bertollé to fashion the ring that The Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh gave to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at their wedding in Westminster Abbey on 20th November, 1947.
The tradition continues to this day. Other members of the Royal Family that have worn pure Clogau Welsh gold wedding rings include Princess Margaret The Countess of Snowdon (1960), Princess Anne The Princess Royal (1973), Diana The Princess of Wales (1981), Prince Charles (1981) and most recently Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (2005).


It is a touch of this very same rare Welsh gold that is contained in every item of Clogau Gold jewellery and it has made Clogau Gold some of the most sought-after jewellery in the world. Just look for the little gold Welsh dragon.


from the official Clogau site http://www.clogau.co.uk/AboutClogau/GoldofRoyalty.aspx


Then
If Kate Middleton follows royal tradition, her wedding ring is likely to be fashioned from a nugget of Welsh gold.

Since the custom was started by the Queen Mother in 1923, Welsh gold has been used for royal brides ever since.

The Queen Mother's wedding ring, the Queen's in 1947, Princess Margaret's in 1960, the Princess Royal's in 1973 and that of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1981 were all made from the same nugget.

The gold came from the Clogau St David's mine at Bontddu in North Wales.

There is now only a minute sliver - one gramme - of the original nugget left.

But in November 1981, the British Royal Legion presented the Queen with a 36-gramme piece of 21-carat Welsh gold for future royal wedding rings.

Part of this gold went into making Sarah, Duchess of York's ring in 1986.

The Duchess of Cornwall's wedding ring was also crafted from Welsh gold from the Clogau St David's mine and the river Mawdach in the Kings Forest.

It was handmade in court style by Wartski and the precious metal was supplied by Cambrian Goldfields Limited.

 

[Maisie]

I got some screen grabs of Kate's ring .... nice side view....

 

[Imdanny]

Having earlier said that in terms of title, he is most likely to be created a Duke, an expert on the news here has said yes, most likely a Duke, BUT don't be surprised if she is made a Princess in her own right - "HRH Princess Catherine of Wales". That would be truly historic.

If she's going to be created a Princess of her own right, then she won't be of Wales. She'll be a princess of the United Kingdom, Northen Irelan, etc. By marriage she'll be HRH Princess William of Wales, of course.

It is Diana's ring!! It's been confirmed by Clarence House. Will be interesting to see it on a different person, and how she chooses to accessorize.

Not what I really wanted to hear, but I'm not William after all. And it's a beautiful ring, isn't it? It obviously means a lot to the Prince. Waiting for the photos to come.

Bobby

I hadn't thought of it, but it's exactly what I would have wanted to hear! Now we get to see Diana's ring and think of Diana each time. I think it was a brilliant move on his part and I readily accept his explanation that he did it so that his mother wouldn't miss out on the fact he's getting married and spending the rest of his life with his fiance. How sweet.

 

[neil31uk]

William, Catherine and the ring:http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/06Ds7hk8eF7Yz/x610.jpg

ETA: What William said about the ring at the press conference about the ring was: As you may have recognised it's my mother's ring and very special to me He also said it was his woy of involving his mother in the engagement. Quite touching...
The Ring - http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0cKkgzr1qXa0b/610x.jpg
Another one - http://cdnmo.coveritlive.com/media/image/201011/php433Hl0PG-kate-middleton-ring.jpg

Well yes she will be a Princess of the UK, as is William now. However, if the Prince/Princess is not a spouse/sibling/child of the reigning monarch, they ALWAYS have a house name at the end. E.g. Prince Michael of Kent. So she would have to have "of Wales" added to the end of he title if a princess.

Are you sure? Prince Michael is only of Kent because his father happened to be Duke of Kent. But hi also is a Prince of the UK, etc. The fact that this title is not used, doesn't mean he is not... As Kate's fateher is not a royal Duke, there's no dominion to be added after her title and name. So, she'll be just of the UK. Just like The Duke of Edinburgh was created a Prince of The UK, etc.

Bobby

Hi Bobby,

I think you have misunderstood me. Prince Michael of Kent IS a Prince of the UK, but Princes' and Princesses that are not the King/Queens' child/sibling/spouse add the name of their parent's peerage to their name to help distinguish them from other members of the family (the same first name could often be used in the royal family). Prince Michael of Kent is a good example as he was the grandson of King George V so Prince Michael has his father's dukedom in his own title -i.e Prince Michael of Kent. Prince Charles and Princess Anne were made a prince/princess by "Letters Patent" issued by George VI as he felt that the heirs to Princess Elizabeth should be a prince/princess. They were otherwise not entitled to be a prince/princess as you can not inherit a title in the UK from your mother and the DoE was simply HRH the Duke of Edinburgh (he was not made a prince until 1957, having given up his Greek princely title to become a British subject in the 1940s) However, as at the time of their births they were the grandchildren of a King they were styled Prince Charles of Edinburgh and Princess Anne of Edinburgh. When Elizabeth became Queen they were restyled HRH The Prince Charles and HRH The Princess Anne.

By the same token, IF Kate Middleton is created a princess in her own right she will be Princess Kate of Wales as her husband is "of Wales" until Charles takes the throne, then she will be HRH The Princess Kate. Interestingly, if they have children before the Queen dies, the Children will also be HRH Prince/Princess X of Wales as the children to the heir to the heir to the throne are also HRHs and Princes/Princess by order of Queen Victoria.

 

[Pandora II]

I can't imagine a white tie wedding - I'll be horrified if it's not morning suits! I think the ring looks better on Catherine than it ever did on Diana where it always seemed a bit too big and almost cocktaily. I'd have preferred to see something new - was hoping for an emerald in a modern setting - and the Diana e-ring reset either as a necklace or as centrepiece in a new tiara for the wedding but they both seem very happy with it which is what counts after all.

However I can't wait to see her tiara. I LOVE tiaras - just sad I will probably never be able to afford a 'real' one.

I'll be suprised if Catherine is made a princess in her own right - but I'm interested to see whether her father is given a title ultimately. Certainly in Tudor times he would have been given one.

The Countess of Wessex was also a commoner IIRC, so I'll have a look at what happened there - although she wasn't marrying the future heir apparent!

 

[LadyMaria]

Well, what do you know? The one day things are crazy at school (namely the power went out) and I can't do my usual checks of royal news on my lunch break, I miss the biggest announcement of the year!! But I have to hand it to them that they caught a few people off guard...no one seemed to be expecting it until after Christmas.

I think William's explanation of using his mother's ring was very poignant. As for the tiara, I think I'd like to see Catherine get her own tiara. I wonder if she'll do like the Duchess of York and not don the tiara until after the ceremony, or like the Countess of Wessex who wore her tiara for the entire ceremony.

And let's hope she has a better marriage that previous Queen Catherines (Catherine of Aragon, Cathreine Howard, and Catherine Parr).

 

[T L]

Look at that great closeup of the ring!

FINALLY, a decent photo of the most famous ring in the world! For years, we had to squint to see any details, and now here is a great close up shot.

 

[Feeshalori]

Hello to all -

I have been a major follower of this wonderful forum for months now and have been absolutely thrilled by all the gorgeous royal bling and incredible knowledge of the forum members. Prince William's engagement to Kate Middleton impelled me to finally join in on all the fun, and I'd like to kick off my initial input by asking if anyone else has observed that the e-ring looks like it's been re-set in platinum/white gold. This wonderful closeup definitely looks like a different metal other than the yellow gold that Princess Diana's original ring was made in. Perhaps Catherine preferred a different setting to set off the jewels better, or maybe modified it for other reasons.

Thanks to all for your lively discussions!

 

[westjenn]

Hello to all -

I have been a major follower of this wonderful forum for months now and have been absolutely thrilled by all the gorgeous royal bling and incredible knowledge of the forum members. Prince William's engagement to Kate Middleton impelled me to finally join in on all the fun, and I'd like to kick off my initial input by asking if anyone else has observed that the e-ring looks like it's been re-set in platinum/white gold. This wonderful closeup definitely looks like a different metal other than the yellow gold that Princess Diana's original ring was made in. Perhaps Catherine preferred a different setting to set off the jewels better, or maybe modified it for other reasons.

Thanks to all for your lively discussions!

Welcome Feeshalori. It's been noted that the original ring was 18K white gold when Princess Diana wore it and it remains the exact same ring on Kate. If you look at the closeup picture in the "Celebrity Rings" forum you'll see a very clear picture of Diana's e-ring and her yellow gold wedding band. I'm glad they didn't change a thing about it.

 

[westjenn]

Here is the picture

 

[Feeshalori]

Here is the picture

Thank you for your welcome, westjenn -

It seems I need to develop a better eye with these royal jewels! I suppose my error occurred seeing such a close-up view and always thinking that the original ring was in yellow gold. And now seeing this photo with the e-ring and wedding band together, I can see the difference. Thanks for posting it. And I absolutely agree with you about not changing anything about the ring; it's important to preserve the history and integrity of such an intrinsically valuable jewel.

 

[westjenn]

I agree in a lot of pictures it's hard to tell if it's yellow or white metal-- depending on the lighting etc..

 

[Imdanny]

Hi everyone, there were some posts early or toward the middle of this thread about the size of Diana's sapphire (and about how it was reset for her).

I'd be grateful if anyone knows off hand where to find them.

I'm particularly interested in knowing the size of the stone.

I know it's not 18 cts. It's more like 8 cts, but whatever it is, I think I remember someone made some posts where they showed this.

Thanks.

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Hi Bobby,

I think you have misunderstood me. Prince Michael of Kent IS a Prince of the UK, but Princes' and Princesses that are not the King/Queens' child/sibling/spouse add the name of their parent's peerage to their name to help distinguish them from other members of the family (the same first name could often be used in the royal family). Prince Michael of Kent is a good example as he was the grandson of King George V so Prince Michael has his father's dukedom in his own title -i.e Prince Michael of Kent. Prince Charles and Princess Anne were made a prince/princess by "Letters Patent" issued by George VI as he felt that the heirs to Princess Elizabeth should be a prince/princess. They were otherwise not entitled to be a prince/princess as you can not inherit a title in the UK from your mother and the DoE was simply HRH the Duke of Edinburgh (he was not made a prince until 1957, having given up his Greek princely title to become a British subject in the 1940s) However, as at the time of their births they were the grandchildren of a King they were styled Prince Charles of Edinburgh and Princess Anne of Edinburgh. When Elizabeth became Queen they were restyled HRH The Prince Charles and HRH The Princess Anne.

By the same token, IF Kate Middleton is created a princess in her own right she will be Princess Kate of Wales as her husband is "of Wales" until Charles takes the throne, then she will be HRH The Princess Kate. Interestingly, if they have children before the Queen dies, the Children will also be HRH Prince/Princess X of Wales as the children to the heir to the heir to the throne are also HRHs and Princes/Princess by order of Queen Victoria.

No, I did not misunderstood you! I know quite well how Charles and Anne were made Prince(ss) of the UK. But, see, The Prince Charles is not Miss Middleton's father. Hence she can not be styled Princess Catherine of Wales. If for example Marie Christine (aka Princess Michael of Kent) would be made a British Princess in her own right, she would be of Kent only as the wife of Prince Michael.
And BTW, by the Letters Patent from 1917 (issued by George V) only the eldest son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales are titled and styled HRH Prince X of Wales. The other male-line grandchildren of the PoW are styled as Lord/Lady X/Y Windsor, just like the other male-line grat-grandchildren of a British monarch.

ETA - Neil, what do you think about a probable statement by HM that after her wedding Miss Middleton is to be known as Princess Catherine of Wales, without issuing a LP to confer the title upon her? A bit like the case of the late HRH Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, rather than HRH The Dowager Duchess of Gloucester.

PS: I'm sorry if this post comes accros as a bit harsh. This was not my intention.

Bobby

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Hello to all -

I have been a major follower of this wonderful forum for months now and have been absolutely thrilled by all the gorgeous royal bling and incredible knowledge of the forum members. Prince William's engagement to Kate Middleton impelled me to finally join in on all the fun, and I'd like to kick off my initial input by asking if anyone else has observed that the e-ring looks like it's been re-set in platinum/white gold. This wonderful closeup definitely looks like a different metal other than the yellow gold that Princess Diana's original ring was made in. Perhaps Catherine preferred a different setting to set off the jewels better, or maybe modified it for other reasons.

Thanks to all for your lively discussions!

Welcome to Pricescope, Feeshalori! I hope you'll have a grat time here and contribute to our discussions.

As already pointed out the ring is the same. Maybe only the size has been changed to fit Miss Middleton's finger.

Warm regards,
Bobby

 

[neil31uk]

Hi Bobby,

I think you have misunderstood me. Prince Michael of Kent IS a Prince of the UK, but Princes' and Princesses that are not the King/Queens' child/sibling/spouse add the name of their parent's peerage to their name to help distinguish them from other members of the family (the same first name could often be used in the royal family). Prince Michael of Kent is a good example as he was the grandson of King George V so Prince Michael has his father's dukedom in his own title -i.e Prince Michael of Kent. Prince Charles and Princess Anne were made a prince/princess by "Letters Patent" issued by George VI as he felt that the heirs to Princess Elizabeth should be a prince/princess. They were otherwise not entitled to be a prince/princess as you can not inherit a title in the UK from your mother and the DoE was simply HRH the Duke of Edinburgh (he was not made a prince until 1957, having given up his Greek princely title to become a British subject in the 1940s) However, as at the time of their births they were the grandchildren of a King they were styled Prince Charles of Edinburgh and Princess Anne of Edinburgh. When Elizabeth became Queen they were restyled HRH The Prince Charles and HRH The Princess Anne.

By the same token, IF Kate Middleton is created a princess in her own right she will be Princess Kate of Wales as her husband is "of Wales" until Charles takes the throne, then she will be HRH The Princess Kate. Interestingly, if they have children before the Queen dies, the Children will also be HRH Prince/Princess X of Wales as the children to the heir to the heir to the throne are also HRHs and Princes/Princess by order of Queen Victoria.

No, I did not misunderstood you! I know quite well how Charles and Anne were made Prince(ss) of the UK. But, see, The Prince Charles is not Miss Middleton's father. Hence she can not be styled Princess Catherine of Wales. If for example Marie Christine (aka Princess Michael of Kent) would be made a British Princess in her own right, she would be of Kent only as the wife of Prince Michael.
And BTW, by the Letters Patent from 1917 (issued by George V) only the eldest son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales are titled and styled HRH Prince X of Wales. The other male-line grandchildren of the PoW are styled as Lord/Lady X/Y Windsor, just like the other male-line grat-grandchildren of a British monarch.

ETA - Neil, what do you think about a probable statement by HM that after her wedding Miss Middleton is to be known as Princess Catherine of Wales, without issuing a LP to confer the title upon her? A bit like the case of the late HRH Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, rather than HRH The Dowager Duchess of Gloucester.

PS: I'm sorry if this post comes accros as a bit harsh. This was not my intention.

Bobby

Not harsh at all Bobby, so don't worry. And I had forgotten that bit of meddling by George V regarding the great-grandchildren. I assume they would move up the ladder from Lord/Lady as they got closer to the throne.

The reason I am so adamant that should would be "0f Wales" is that was what the expert from Debretts Peerage said on BBC News, he acknowledged that it would be a break with tradition, but felt it might be a modern thing to do, and that the RF are getting better at moving with the times. Personally I think it would be great as if William is made a duke, that title would be somewhat lost in his other titles after he becomes Duke of Cornwall and then PoW (if Charles sees fit to create him as such). Besides, I think Princess Catherine would suit her youth better than making her a a duchess whom I always see as being maturer ladies.

As for the statement, thats a good question. The Queen has of course done this a couple of times, as you say with Princess Alice (her favourite aunt apparently) with the children of the Earl and Countess of Wessex - although they have the style and titles of the children of a duke no Letters Patent or Orders in Council were ever issued so legally they are Prince/Princess of Wessex. I wonder if this was very deliberate, as Edward is to become the Duke of Edinburgh upon his fathers' death, so maybe then as a the children of a prince/royal duke they will then be known as prince/princess of Edinburgh? I do hope so. So my point is, the Queen did not legally change their status to allow for this. If thats the case, i think maybe there will be Letters Patent issued to make her a Princess - if thats what's decided.

The expert from Debretts also said that to choose the dukedom (if they go that route) is actually a matter of what the couple like the sound of the most. I assume that means the Queen decides first if it is to be a Dukedom or a Princess in her own right. It then makes me wonder if any other royals might get a title soon, e.g. Peter Philips, now he is married, might he be made an earl or something?

On the subject of jewels, did anyone note the sapphire pedant and earrings Kate was wearing at the photocall? nicely coordinated, and the nicest jewels I have seen her wear to date. How many of Diana's jewels did William and Harry inherit, will we see them on Kate or do we think there will be a new selection purchased in the coming months/years?

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Hi everyone, there were some posts early or toward the middle of this thread about the size of Diana's sapphire (and about how it was reset for her).

I'd be grateful if anyone knows off hand where to find them.

I'm particularly interested in knowing the size of the stone.

I know it's not 18 cts. It's more like 8 cts, but whatever it is, I think I remember someone made some posts where they showed this.

Thanks.

Hi Danny!

The discussion starts on page 59 with a very long post by former poster Jenna. The next pages also have some photos and info (mussings). Here's the link https://www.pricescope.com/forum/jewelry-pieces/royal-jewels-t73838-1740.html

What I find intriguing is that yesterday Clarence House said the ring had an 18 carat sapphire, something the stone isn't... IMO it's about three times smaller.

Enjoy,
Bobby

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Not harsh at all Bobby, so don't worry. And I had forgotten that bit of meddling by George V regarding the great-grandchildren. I assume they would move up the ladder from Lord/Lady as they got closer to the throne.
......

Ohh, I see. It's the Debrett's Peerage expert makes you belive it would be of Wales. Still I think it's quite unlikely to happen (the whole Princess in her own right thing). I still think HRH Princess William of Wales is the most likely title she'll have, unless there'll be a peerage for Wills. Because imagine an informally styled Princess Cahtherine of Wales, acknowledged by the court. Then Princess Michael might also like to be known as Princess Marie Christine of Kent
And no need to worry about the too much titles William will one day have. George V, when still Prince George of Wales, was created Duke of York by Queen Victoria and once his father ascended to the throne, he was known as HRH The Duke od Cornwall and York. Maybe William will one day be The Duke of Cornwall & Clarence/Highgrove/Kensington/Whatever.
The Wessex children - I do hope they start using their royal titles. At least when Prince Edward becomes DoE.
As for Peter Phillips, I'd love it if he's created an Earl (Baron would also be passable) of Gatcombe once the child is born.

Kate's jewels - yes, I did notice them. The dark stones look like they might be cab sapphires. She also wore them at the wedding of Lady Rose Gilman (nee Windsor). I assume the jewels of the late Diana were divided by her two sons. The engagement and wedding presents probably went to William.

Bobby

 

[JewelFreak]

When Charles & Diana were married, I remember a brief kerfuffle about what she would be called. Since Diana wasn't royal, the Palace said she would be styled HRH Princess Charles of Wales, as is Princess Michael of Kent. Big roar from the public, "You can't call HER Princess Charles!" Finally the RF compromised on the legit & more formal title, saying she would be referred to in royal publications as HRH The Princess of Wales. It will be interesting to see how they handle Kate's style -- don't think they'll try going the "Princess William" route nowadays, so what else can they do but issue a Letter Patent? She has to be called Princess (something) of Wales, since that's Willam's title, but as somebody noted, if he gets a dukedom, she could simply be HRH The Duchess of Mmmmf. Everybody will probably call her Princess Kate IRL, huh?

So the sapphire is 5 to 9 ct. Why does the Palace keep saying 18? Could there be 10 cts of diamonds in the halo & they mean the entire stones weight? That's an awful lot, hard to imagine from looking at it. Weird. I suppose more weight in the sapphire couldn't be in the pavilion so it faces up smaller? That would also account for its darker color. No?

Didn't Edward try to turn down any title on his marriage? Maybe i remember that wrong, but seem to recall that the Queen insisted so he settled on an earldom as the lowest there is. In that case, he may not want his children to be titled, as Anne & Mark Philips didn't.

--- Laurie

 

[prince.of.preslav]

Dear Laurie,

You either don't remember what the Palace said ot they had it wrong back then. The Prince of Wales has never held the title and style HRH Prince Charles of Wales as he never was the son of a Prince of Wales, let alone at the time of his wedding. As heir apparent to the Throne of The UK he is titled and styled HRH The Prince of Wales. His full title and style are HRH The Prince Charles Philip Artur George, Prince of Wales & Earl of Chester, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. The only title and style Lady Diana officialy had during her marriage was the female form of her husban's titles - i.e. HRH The Princess Charles Philip Arthur George, Princess of Wales & Countess of Chester, Duchess of Cornwall, etc.

Didn't Edward try to turn down any title on his marriage? Maybe i remember that wrong, but seem to recall that the Queen insisted so he settled on an earldom as the lowest there is. In that case, he may not want his children to be titled, as Anne & Mark Philips didn't.

It was Anne that turned down any title for her husband upon their wedding.
What I've read about Edward's title is that he was created an Earl, because he'd one day inherit the Dukedom of Edinburgh (or be created such). The lowest hereditary peerage is that of a Baron.

Bobby

 

[soberguy]

Another nice shot of the ring:

http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/11/17/world/17royal2_inline.html