2. The Ring

It was the sapphire seen around the world. But when Prince William gave Kate Middleton his mother’s engagement ring, it wasn’t just a romantic gesture—it was a message. In this episode, we explore the complicated legacy of Diana’s iconic Ceylon sapphire, from its selection out of a Garrard catalog to its reemergence on Kate’s finger decades later.

Why did Diana choose it? Why did William pass it on? And what did Harry really think? We unpack the symbolism, the scandals, and the pressures that came with this glittering relic of a turbulent past. For Kate, wearing the ring meant accepting not only William—but the myths, ghosts, and scrutiny that came with Diana’s memory.

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Portions of this program were made with the help of AI. While no-one truly knows what happens behind closed doors, we've tried our best to capture the story, taking dramatic license when necessary to create this entertainment series based on true events.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Calaruga Shark Media. The sapphire gleamed, its deep blue depths
surrounded by fourteen diamonds, catching the light with every movement
of Catherine Middleton's hand. In the days following the royal
engagement announcement in November twenty ten, this ring became the

(00:25):
most photographed piece of jewelry in the world. But behind
its dazzling beauty lay a complex history, one inextricably linked
to tragedy, triumph, and the complicated legacy of Diana, Princess
of Wales. This is episode two The Ring. The many

(01:00):
royal observers, William's decision to propose with his mother's engagement
ring was a poignant gesture of remembrance. For others, it
represented something more troubling, the shadow of a doomed marriage
that would forever hover over the young couple. The twelve
carrot salon sapphire, set in white gold, carried with it

(01:21):
memories both sweet and bitter. I thought it was quite
nice because obviously she's not going to be around to
share any of the fun and excitement, William had explained
during the engagement announcement. This was my way of keeping
her close to it all. What few knew was how
the ring had come into William's possession in the first place.

(01:44):
Following Diana's death in nineteen ninety seven, her sons had
been taken to Kensington Palace to select mementos from their
mother's possessions. Prince Harry, just twelve years old at the time,
had actually chosen the engagement ring, while fifteen year old
old William selected Diana's gold Cartier watch. According to former

(02:05):
royal butler Paul Burell, the brothers later made a touching
agreement whoever became engaged first would use their mother's ring.
The ring's journey began long before that tragic exchange between
grieving brothers. In the winter of nineteen eighty one, the
newly engaged Lady Diana Spencer had been presented with a

(02:26):
selection of rings by the Royal jeweler Garrard. Rather than
having one custom made, as was royal tradition, Diana chose
from a catalog, an early indication of her desire to
forge her own path. Her selection raised aristocratic eyebrows for
multiple reasons. Not only was it available to purchase by

(02:47):
anyone with sufficient funds, but the design a colored stone
surrounded by diamonds bore a striking resemblance to another royal
engagement ring, that of Diana's husband's great grandmother, the Queen Mother.
Whether this similarity was intentional or coincidental remains debated by
royal historians to this day. At the time, the ring

(03:11):
cost thirty five thousand pounds, a considerable sum, though far
from the most expensive option available to the future princess.
Its value has since multiplied many times over, with current
estimates placing it at more than three hundred thousand pounds.
But its true worth lies not in its material value,

(03:32):
but in its emotional resonance, the way it connects past,
present and future. When Charles presented the ring to Diana
in February nineteen eighty one, their engagement was announced with
similar fanfare to William and Kates. Nearly thirty years later,

(03:52):
the young lady Diana, just nineteen years old, stood shyly
beside her thirty two year old fiancee, fire ring already
on her finger. The world was enchanted by her fresh
faced beauty and apparent innocence. Few could have predicted the
turbulence that lay ahead. For thirteen years, the ring adorned

(04:15):
Diana's finger through the births of two sons, hundreds of
royal engagements, charity work that changed the face of global humanitarianism,
and the slow, painful dissolution of a marriage that had
begun with such public optimism. When Diana finally removed it
following her separation from Charles in nineteen ninety two, its

(04:38):
absence spoke volumes, a visible symbol of broken vows and
dashed hopes. After the divorce was finalized in nineteen ninety six,
Diana continued to wear the ring occasionally, though she moved
it to her right hand. Whether this represented lingering attachment
or simply appreciation for the jewelrytses became a topic of

(05:01):
endless speculation among royal watchers. The ring disappeared from public
view after Diana's death in a Paris car crash in

(05:21):
August nineteen ninety seven. For nearly thirteen years, its whereabouts
remained a mystery to the public. Some speculated it had
been placed in a royal vault, others that it had
been buried with the princess. Few knew it had passed
from Harry's keeping to Williams, waiting for the moment when
one of Diana's sons would find the woman they wished

(05:43):
to marry. When that moment finally arrived, the reappearance of
the famous sapphire on Kate Middleton's finger sent shock waves
through royal circles. Some courtiers privately expressed concern about the
symbolic weight the ring carried, the potential ill fortune it
might bestow. Others wondered whether Harry had truly been comfortable

(06:07):
with his brother giving the ring to Kate, despite their
childhood agreement. The Queen herself was said to have been
surprised by William's choice. According to Pallas insiders, she had
assumed the ring would remain in the royal collection, perhaps
never to be worn again, due to its complicated associations.
Yet she recognized the deep emotional significance it held for

(06:29):
her grandson and respected his decision to incorporate his mother's
memory into his new beginning. For Kate, accepting the ring
meant embracing not just William, but the complex legacy of
the woman who would have been her mother in law.
Diana's global popularity, her tumultuous relationship with the royal family,

(06:50):
her struggles with mental health and eating disorders, her revolutionary
approach to royal parenting all became part of Kate's inheritance
the moment she slipped the sapphire onto her finger. It's beautiful,
Kate had said during the engagement interview, glancing down at
the ring, I just hope I look after it. It's

(07:11):
very special. The subtle emphasis on looking after it did
not go unnoticed by royal observers. Was this merely about
caring for a valuable piece of jewelry, or was it
a broader statement about preserving Diana's legacy, about doing better
than the previous generation, about ensuring that history would not

(07:33):
repeat itself. William's friends revealed that his decision to propose
with the ring had been made months before the actual proposal.
He had carried it in his rucksack during a trip
to Kenya, terrified of losing it, yet determined that it
should be the symbol of his commitment to Kate. The
ring had traveled thousands of miles from London to Nairobi

(07:55):
and back again before finding its new home on Kate's finger.
For William, the ring represented more than just remembrance of
his mother. It was a way of including her in
a milestone she would never witness of ensuring her presence
at the wedding that would follow, of connecting two of

(08:17):
the most important women in his life across the divide
of death. Yet it also carried with it the weight
of expectation, the unspoken hope that his marriage would succeed
where his parents had failed. The public reaction to the
reappearance of Diana's ring was overwhelmingly positive. Royal fan saw

(08:39):
it as a touching tribute, a way of keeping Diana's
memory alive for a new generation. Sales of sapphire engagement
rings soared in the wake of the announcement, with jewelers
struggling to keep up with demand for replicas and similar designs.
But behind the scenes, questions lingered. Had William discussed his

(09:01):
decision with Harry beforehand, What did it mean for the
younger prince to see his mother's ring on the finger
of his brother's fiancee, And how did Kate truly feel
about wearing a piece of jewelry so laden with history
and so scrutinized by the public. According to those close

(09:28):
to the princes, Harry was genuinely happy for his brother
and held no resentment about the ring. Harry is not
the kind of person to make a fuss about something
like this. One friend told the press, he's delighted for
William and Kate and thinks it's perfectly right that she
should have their mother's ring. For her part, Kate seemed

(09:49):
to understand the dual nature of the ring, both blessing
and burden. In subsequent years, she would wear it with
what appeared to be equal parts pride in respect, infect
never attempting to erase its associations with Diana, but also
making it very much her own through her distinctive style
and approach to royal duties. The ring itself underwent subtle

(10:13):
modifications to fit Kate's finger. The band was adjusted by
royal jeweler G. Collins and Sons, with small platinum beads
added to the inside to ensure a perfect fit without
altering the original design. These minor changes symbolized the delicate
balance Kate would need to strike, honoring tradition while adapting

(10:35):
it to a new era. As the weeks passed following
the engagement announcement, the initial furor over the ring began
to subside. Attention turned to wedding preparations, to speculation about
Kate's dress, to the guest list and venue. Yet the
sapphire remained a constant presence, appearing in every official photograph,

(10:57):
catching the eye in every public appearance. Each time Kate
waved to crowds or gestured during conversations, camer lenses zoomed
in on the flash of blue on her left hand.
The ring became a sort of talisman, a connection between
the public and the royal family, between past sorrows and

(11:18):
future hopes. It carried with it both warning and promise,
a reminder of all that had gone wrong in the
previous generation and an opportunity to get things right in
the next. Beyond its emotional significance, the ring represented something else,

(11:43):
entirely the evolution of royal traditions. By choosing a ring
from a catalog rather than commissioning a bespoke piece, Diana
had broken with convention. By passing that ring to his fiancee.
William continued this subtle rebellion, privileging a personal meaning over protocol.
This pattern would repeat throughout William and Kate's courtship and marriage,

(12:07):
respecting the essential traditions of monarchy while gently modernizing them.
The ring became an early symbol of their approach to
royal life, rooted in history, yet facing forward, acknowledging the
past without being imprisoned by it. For the Royal family
as an institution, the reappearance of Diana's ring forced a

(12:29):
kind of reckoning. The woman they had once viewed as
a troublesome outsider whose separation and divorce from the heir
to the throne had triggered a constitutional crisis was now
being publicly honored by her son. The ring that had
adorned the finger of the People's Princess during her most
rebellious years would now be worn by a future Queen

(12:51):
of England. Queen Elizabeth, the second ever pragmatic, recognized the
potential healing power of this symbolic gesture. Though she had
often found herself at odds with her former daughter in law,
she understood the profound bond between Diana and her sons.
The ring represented continuity amid change, a thread connecting the

(13:13):
monarchy's difficult past with its hopeful future. Prince Charles's reaction
to seeing his former wife's engagement ring on Kate's finger
was never publicly revealed. Those close to the Prince of
Wales suggested he viewed it as appropriate away for his
son to honor his mother. Others speculated that it must

(13:33):
have been a complex emotional moment for him, confronting a
vivid reminder of his first marriage as his son embarked
on his own. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall displayed characteristic tact.
Whatever her private feelings about the ring that had once
belonged to her predecessor and sometime rival, she congratulated the

(13:54):
couple warmly and made no comment on William's choice of jewelry.
A woman who had once been cast as the villain
in Charles and Diana's marriage drama, took care to stay
firmly in the background of her stepson's love story. For
Diana's family, the Spencer's the ring's re emergence brought both
joy and pain. Earl Spencer, Diana's brother and William's uncle,

(14:20):
publicly expressed his happiness for the couple, noting that his
sister would have been thrilled by William's choice of bride. Privately,
according to friends, he was moved by this tangible connection
to his beloved sister nearly fourteen years after her death.

(14:42):
As wedding preparations gathered pace in early two thousand eleven,
the ring remained a daily reminder of Diana's absent presence.
In a hundred small ways, William and Kate incorporated tributes
to his mother into their plans. Their choice of Westminster Abbey,
where Diana's funeral had been held, was seen by many

(15:03):
as significant. Kate's decision to include Lily of the Valley
in her bouquet, one of Diana's favorite flowers, was another
subtle nod. The ring would be prominently visible on the
day itself, gleaming on Kate's finger as she processed up
the aisle, on her father's arm, as she exchanged vows
with William, as she signed the register and greeted well wishers.

(15:28):
Every one of the billion plus people watching the wedding
worldwide would recognize that flash of blue, understanding its significance
without explanation. In the years that followed, the ring would
become so associated with Kate that younger generations might eventually
forget its origins. As she made her mark as Duchess

(15:50):
of Cambridge later Princess of Wales, the sapphire would be
just one element of her carefully curated image. Elegant, appropriate, quietly, confident,
and Yet for those who remembered Diana, who had followed
her journey from shy kindergarten teacher to global humanitarian, the
ring would always carry dual meanings. It would be impossible

(16:12):
to see it on Kate's finger without thinking of the
woman who had worn it first, without comparing their roles,
their styles, their relationships with the monarchy. This was perhaps
the greatest burden the ring placed on Kate, the inevitable comparisons,
the constant measuring against a woman who had achieved near
mythic status through both her extraordinary life and her tragic death.

(16:36):
How could anyone possibly measure up to a legend? How
could Kate forge her own identity while wearing such a
potent symbol of her predecessor. The answer emerged gradually as
Kate grew into her royal role. Rather than competing with
Diana's memory, she honored it while remaining authentically herself. She

(16:58):
wore the ring with respect for its history, but did
not allow it to define her. She acknowledged the comparisons,
but did not let them dictate her choices. In this way,
what might have been a burden became instead a bridge
between generations, between traditions, between different visions of what royalty

(17:20):
could mean. William's gift of his mother's ring to his
future wife spoke volumes about his hopes for his marriage.
It represented his desire to heal old wounds, to continue
Diana's legacy of compassion and connection, to ensure that the
best parts of his mother lived on. It was both
remembrance and renewal, an acknowledgment of loss and an investment

(17:44):
in the future. As the sapphire continued to glint on
Kate's finger, through engagements, royal tours, the births of their children,
and countless official photographs, it became more than just Diana's
ring or even Kate's run. It became a symbol of
continuity amid change, of the royal family's ability to absorb

(18:05):
personal tragedies and institutional crises and still move forward. The
story of this famous piece of jewelry, from catalog selection
to global icon, from symbol of a doomed marriage to
emblem of a hopeful new beginning, mirrors the larger story
of the modern monarchy itself, weathering scandals and tragedies, adapting

(18:28):
to changing times while honoring tradition, finding ways to remain
relevant in an increasingly republican world. In this sense, the
sapphire ring that once adorned Diana's finger and now graces
Kate's hand is more than just a beautiful piece of
jewelry or even a poignant family heirloom. It is a

(18:49):
tangible link in the long chain of royal history, connecting past, present,
and future. In its gleaming blue depths. As preparations for
the royal wedding continued through the winter of twenty ten
and into the spring of twenty and eleven, the ring
remained a constant reminder of both what had been lost

(19:10):
and what might yet be gained. It carried with it
Diana's complicated legacy, her triumphs and her struggles, her radiance
and her pain, and offered both warning and inspiration to
the young couple now embarking on their own royal journey.
What neither William nor Kate could have fully anticipated was
how this single choice, the decision to reuse Diana's engagement

(19:34):
ring rather than select something new, would set the tone
for their approach to royal life. It signaled their intention
to honor tradition while not being bound by it, to
acknowledge the past, while creating their own path forward in
the years to come. This balancing act would define their

(19:54):
public roles and private choices, their relationship with the monarchy
as an institution, and their evolution as a family. And
through it all, the Sapphire would continue to gleam, a
silent witness to a new chapter in an ancient story.

(20:19):
Next time, on Crown and Controversy, Kate works closely with
Sarah Burton on a wedding dress. Shrouded in secrecy. William
and Harry share emotional moments as brothers. Before William takes
his vows, Pallis aides scramble to finalize guest lists with
diplomatic implications. Kate's dress fittings become a matter of national security.

(20:40):
Royal dressmakers work day and night on a gown that
will make history, and as the wedding approaches, William and
Harry find themselves revisiting childhood memories of their mother, while
no one truly knows what happens behind closed palace doors.
This entertainment series uses news sources, on the record, quotes,
and some artistic license. Some moments have been dramatized for

(21:04):
storytelling effect. A I narration was used in creation of
this series. To keep up with the modern day Royal family,
follow our sister podcast, Pallace Intrigue, a seven day a week,
ten minute update on the Royals, crown and controversy. Is
a production of Calarogua Shark Media Executive producers Mark Francis

(21:25):
and John MacDermott.