From Charles and Diana to Eugenie and Jack: A brief history of royal engagements

Danielle Fowler

·Freelance Writer

22 January 2018 at 7:00 am

Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

The story behind Queen Elizabeth II’s engagement ring is a real life fairy tale. After falling for Prince Philip aged just thirteen, the pair began to exchange love letters.

And in 1946, the Duke of Edinburgh asked King George VI for his daughter’s hand in marriage but he could not propose until her 21st birthday. Their engagement was officially announced on 9 July, 1947.

The Queen’s three-carat engagement ring features ten diamonds and once belonged to the Duke of Edinburgh’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.

When his late mother learnt that he was wishing to propose, she gave her son the tiara she donned on her wedding day so that it could be dismantled to produce the perfect engagement ring.

Prince Philip then collaborated on the creation of the ring with London-based jeweller Philip Antrobus and used the additional stones to make a diamond bracelet which he gave the Queen as a wedding gift. [Photo: Getty]

With the news that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are engaged, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and revisit the most famous royal engagements of years gone by.

The story of how Prince Philip designed his wife Queen Elizabeth II’s engagement ring wouldn’t look out of place in a fairy tale.

While the sapphire ring Prince Charles used to propose to Princess Diana has undoubtedly taken on a legacy of its own.

From Princess Margaret’s second proposal to the royal wedding of Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, take a look back at the most romantic royal engagements in history.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK.

Read more from Yahoo Style UK:

The royal style moments that will go down in history

What would Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding look like?

Kate Middleton’s top fashion moments of 2017

HuffPost UK
Tory Gloom As Gaffe-Prone Kemi Badenoch Endures Another Miserable PMQs
The new Tory leader walked straight into a trap laid by Keir Starmer.
Hello!
Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster's huge £4.1m mansion they were forced to leave behind
The 'Maggie May' rockstar and the model share sons Alastair and Aiden
Snopes
Fact Check: Yes, Russian State TV Aired Nude Photos of Melania Trump
"This is Putin letting Trump know that he is in charge," one X user wrote.
HuffPost UK
Starmer Skewers Nigel Farage Over All His US Trips By Mentioning His Least Favourite Issue
But the PMQs jibe was so good, even the Reform UK leader could not help laughing.
The Guardian
Woman ‘trapped’ in relationship bled to death after sexual assault, court told
Tiffany Render previously told Carlisle police that Paul Irwin, 50, was abusive and had threatened to kill her
HuffPost
John Bolton Sums Up What Trump Really Wants In 1 Damning Word
The former national security adviser warned that this single trait "won't serve the country well."
The Independent
Malaga flooding latest: Severe rain alerts issued as Valencia sees dozens of emergency callouts
Thousands evacuated in Malaga as powerful storm hits Spain just weeks after deadly flash floods
The Telegraph
Iran sets up mental health clinic to ‘treat’ women who refuse to wear hijab
Iranian women who resist wearing the hijab are to be given treatment at a specialist mental health clinic in Tehran.
HuffPost
Dick Van Dyke Has Hilariously Dark Response To Trump's Election Win
The legendary entertainer found a silver lining — sort of.
Hello!
Princess Anne shows off new hair during special occasion
The Princess Royal debuted her new at Saturday's Festival of Remembrance, but the style also looked fresh at a Racing Welfare event earlier in the month
Hello!
Bake Off viewers in disbelief over fan-favourite contestant's shock revelation
Bake Off viewers were in disbelief over fan-favourite contestant Dylan's shock revelation during Tuesday's show…
Manchester Evening News
BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Shirley Ballas shuts down 'awful messages' as she leaves country after exit row
The head judge came under fire after her vote sealed the fate of Shayne Ward and Nancy Xu
Runner's World
How long does it take the average person to walk 10,000 steps?
How long will it take you to walk 10,000 steps? We spoke with experts and scoured the research to find you an answer.
INSIDER
My 11-year-old walked less than a mile away from home. I was arrested and charged with reckless conduct.
A free-range parent was shocked when she was charged with "reckless conduct." She's been asked to put a tracker on her son's phone, which she refused.
Dorset Echo
Forced out: Couple devastated after being told to leave beach chalet after 30 years
A couple from Somerset feel discriminated against after the contract to their beach chalet in Greenhill Gardens, Weymouth was terminated after almost 30 years
People
Groom Refuses to Invite Mother Who 'Ignored' Him His Entire Life to Wedding: 'She Expects to be Front and Center'
"Like… seriously? I haven’t heard from her in years," the groom wrote on Reddit
Hello!
Princess Kate and Prince William's heating bills at Adelaide Cottage are in 'different league'
The Prince and Princess of Wales' primary residence is their home, Adelaide Cottage, located on Windsor Great Park. The four-bedroom cottage sits on 655 acres of land – find out how much their bills might cost Prince William and Kate each month…
The Telegraph
The four bishops under pressure to follow Welby and resign
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s resignation has intensified demands for accountability as a child sex abuse scandal engulfs senior clergy.
The Telegraph
Panicked savers blocked from putting tax-free lump sums back in pensions
Savers who panicked and withdrew their tax-free lump sum ahead of Rachel Reeves’s Budget are being told that they cannot put the money back in their pensions.
The Telegraph
Southport ‘attacker’ refuses to speak for third time in court
The alleged Southport attacker has again refused to speak after appearing in court for a third time accused of murdering three young girls, producing a biological toxin, and a terror offence.

Boots' Showstopper Beauty Box is back with 26 luxury products and a £363 saving

From Charles and Diana to Eugenie and Jack: A brief history of royal engagements

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

Latest stories

Tory Gloom As Gaffe-Prone Kemi Badenoch Endures Another Miserable PMQs

Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster's huge £4.1m mansion they were forced to leave behind

Fact Check: Yes, Russian State TV Aired Nude Photos of Melania Trump

Starmer Skewers Nigel Farage Over All His US Trips By Mentioning His Least Favourite Issue

Woman ‘trapped’ in relationship bled to death after sexual assault, court told

John Bolton Sums Up What Trump Really Wants In 1 Damning Word

Malaga flooding latest: Severe rain alerts issued as Valencia sees dozens of emergency callouts

Iran sets up mental health clinic to ‘treat’ women who refuse to wear hijab

Dick Van Dyke Has Hilariously Dark Response To Trump's Election Win

Princess Anne shows off new hair during special occasion

Bake Off viewers in disbelief over fan-favourite contestant's shock revelation

BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Shirley Ballas shuts down 'awful messages' as she leaves country after exit row

How long does it take the average person to walk 10,000 steps?

My 11-year-old walked less than a mile away from home. I was arrested and charged with reckless conduct.

Forced out: Couple devastated after being told to leave beach chalet after 30 years

Groom Refuses to Invite Mother Who 'Ignored' Him His Entire Life to Wedding: 'She Expects to be Front and Center'

Princess Kate and Prince William's heating bills at Adelaide Cottage are in 'different league'

The four bishops under pressure to follow Welby and resign

Panicked savers blocked from putting tax-free lump sums back in pensions

Southport ‘attacker’ refuses to speak for third time in court