We are captivated by royal weddings and engagements, and none more so than the Prince and Princess of Wales, who will celebrate their 13th wedding anniversary on April 29th. For many, the starting gun of months of anticipation was undoubtedly the announcement of their royal engagement. As characterized by royal specialist Robert Hardman, when a royal couple tells us they're engaged, we're fascinated by everything from the dress design to who the bridesmaids and best men will be, and where we're going to watch it.
"People love to make a day of it with street parties and things, so there's huge interest from the word go," said Hardman. With their engagement announcement in November 2010, the Prince and Princess of Wales undoubtedly caused quite a stir. The recently engaged couple opened up about their intimate Kenyan vacation, where the Prince of Wales proposed using the engagement ring that belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana.
In an interview with ITV's Tom Bradby, the Prince of Wales explained, "It is the place my father took my brother and me shortly after our mother died... And when deciding where best to propose to Catherine, I could think of no more fitting place than Kenya to get down on one knee." He continued by saying that he had the ring made by royal jeweler Garrard in his bag for three weeks before proposing. "I knew if this thing disappeared, I'd be in a lot of trouble," he observed. "I waited a long time, an hour or two, to make that picture-perfect."
Mario Testino stated after taking their official engagement portrait at St. James's Palace, "I waited a long time, an hour or two, to make that picture-perfect."
The ring, crafted by jeweler G. Collins and Sons and featuring a huge sapphire framed by 14 diamonds, was naturally showcased in the photograph.
When the Duke, the Prince of Wales's younger brother, announced his engagement to American actress, the Duchess of Sussex, seven years later, it drove royal observers into a frenzy.
"They told the world about their engagement in November 2017 from Kensington Palace's gardens," as Robert, the author, puts it. "I was there in the garden, and it felt like the dawn of a brand new era for the royals. Everyone yearned to partake in that thrill."
A three-stone diamond ring served as the centerpiece of the Duchess of Sussex's ring, which also features two smaller diamonds that were formerly part of Princess Diana's brooch. The ring was modified in 2019 by the Duchess of Sussex, who swapped out the gold band with one adorned with a row of precious stones set tightly together.
