Prince William and Kate Middleton are engaged!

[Imdanny]

I do like Kate and actually the ring looks gorgeous on her. I was not however a fan of Diana in any way - I'm a Camilla fan. She has always been Charles's true love and Diana should not in her position have washed their dirty linen in public. Camilla has always behaved impeccably in public, as has Kate - weirdly I found photos a few years ago of Lady Camilla Fane when she and Charles were dating and she looked very like Diana in them.

Apparently the Queen wants all her grandchildren to date for at least 5 years before marriage to ensure that no-one is blown away by a 'fairy-tale' and have a firm grasp on what they would be letting themselves in for as well as seeing if they are romantically compatible.

I have a good feeling about this wedding.

ETA: Princess Anne was given the title Princess Royal in 1987. It's held by an eldest daughter but can only be held by one person at a time. The previous holder was Princess Mary - eldest daughter of George V who died in 1965, hence why the Queen was never the Princess Royal as she became the Sovereign before Mary's death.

Oh, and the sapphire is not a stone from the crown jewels - it was chosen by Diana from a selection offered by Garrards who are the Royal Jewellers. I very much doubt it is precision cut - far too valuable to waste the material on perfect crown angles! The colour is glorious in the right light but looks terrible in lots of photos - but heck 18cts... wow!

Then he should have married her and not Diana, and the stone is not 18cts (I know a lot of people are misinformed about this, but it's not).

 

[Gailey]

but heck 18cts... wow!

Are you sure? It does not look that huge.

The Daily Mail newspaper is reporting 12cts, but who knows???

 

[Gailey]

I wonder if that will mean a resurgence in this style of ring.

Funny you should say that. I heard on the radio this evening (in Calgary) that the Natural Sapphire Co's phone is ringing off the hook .......

 

[kittybean]

It seems like William and Kate have the sort of relationship that if Kate hadn't been okay with having Diana's ring be her engagement ring, she would have let him know, and he wouldn't have given it to her . . . JMHO (since I'm such an authority on the topic).

I think it looks beautiful on Kate's hand, but it isn't as lovely as LostSapphire's Blueberry. That stone, to me, is everything a sapphire should be.

 

[kimchi]

Just speculating here, but my guess is that at sometime when he was small, William played with that ring while it was on his mom's finger, twirling it around and around, as children often do. It came to represent warmth, love, and safety to him, as well as taking on additional meaning when his mother died. To give it to Kate is not only a way of keeping his mother alive in his memory, but is a way of telling Kate that to him, she represents warmth, love, and safety. It would be an intimidating ring to be given, no doubt about it, but also virtually impossible to turn down.

To me, as an outsider, the ring represented the fairytale. It will be interesting to see whether Kate lets the ring dominate her or if she writes her own story, so to speak. It does look different on her than it did on Diana.

 

[Imdanny]

but heck 18cts... wow!

Are you sure? It does not look that huge.

The Daily Mail newspaper is reporting 12cts, but who knows???

It's under 10 cts if I recall correctly. Someone solved this mystery in the royal jewels thread about a year ago. I've asked there for help finding the posts.

Also, I'm curious to know if the ring was remade for Kate (or Catherine). I know it was remade once for Diana already.

 

[Natylad]

I do like Kate and actually the ring looks gorgeous on her. I was not however a fan of Diana in any way - I'm a Camilla fan. She has always been Charles's true love and Diana should not in her position have washed their dirty linen in public. Camilla has always behaved impeccably in public, as has Kate - weirdly I found photos a few years ago of Lady Camilla Fane when she and Charles were dating and she looked very like Diana in them.

Apparently the Queen wants all her grandchildren to date for at least 5 years before marriage to ensure that no-one is blown away by a 'fairy-tale' and have a firm grasp on what they would be letting themselves in for as well as seeing if they are romantically compatible.

I have a good feeling about this wedding.

ETA: Princess Anne was given the title Princess Royal in 1987. It's held by an eldest daughter but can only be held by one person at a time. The previous holder was Princess Mary - eldest daughter of George V who died in 1965, hence why the Queen was never the Princess Royal as she became the Sovereign before Mary's death.

Oh, and the sapphire is not a stone from the crown jewels - it was chosen by Diana from a selection offered by Garrards who are the Royal Jewellers. I very much doubt it is precision cut - far too valuable to waste the material on perfect crown angles! The colour is glorious in the right light but looks terrible in lots of photos - but heck 18cts... wow!

Then he should have married her and not Diana, and the stone is not 18cts (I know a lot of people are misinformed about this, but it's not).

Excellent point ImDanny...Diana was the big victim in this story and her husband (and his family) took advantage of her and put her through hell...The whole world knows that Camilla and Charles kept seeing each other after his marriage to Diana...How terrible and unethical was all that?Why did he ever marry Diana if he loved somebody else and why did he give her the impression that she was so special to him? Answer: Because his mother didn't want Camilla as a daughter in law and he didn't have the guts to stand up for what he felt was right for him. It is them who didn't know how to behave in general and not Diana who was a sweetheart and the entire world loved her...Indeed i totally despise what they did to her...

 

[Maisie]

Just speculating here, but my guess is that at sometime when he was small, William played with that ring while it was on his mom's finger, twirling it around and around, as children often do. It came to represent warmth, love, and safety to him, as well as taking on additional meaning when his mother died. To give it to Kate is not only a way of keeping his mother alive in his memory, but is a way of telling Kate that to him, she represents warmth, love, and safety. It would be an intimidating ring to be given, no doubt about it, but also virtually impossible to turn down.

To me, as an outsider, the ring represented the fairytale. It will be interesting to see whether Kate lets the ring dominate her or if she writes her own story, so to speak. It does look different on her than it did on Diana.

I teared up reading your post kimchi. I think you are exactly right in your analysis. My son does that with my ring when we are having a cuddle. I can imagine Diana's sons did the same thing.

 

[Imdanny]

Excellent point ImDanny...Diana was the big victim in this story and her husband (and his family) took advantage of her and put her through hell...The whole world knows that Camilla and Charles kept seeing each other after his marriage to Diana...How terrible and unethical was all that?Why did he ever marry Diana if he loved somebody else and why did he give her the impression that she was so special to him? Answer: Because his mother didn't want Camilla as a daughter in law and he didn't have the guts to stand up for what he felt was right for him. It is them who didn't know how to behave in general and not Diana who was a sweetheart and the entire world loved her...Indeed i totally despise what they did to her...

You know what else, natyLad? I predict this isn't the last time we're going to see William honoring his mother. Those who want to speak ill of the dead better get used to it. It's going to be a long haul.

 

[Pandora II]

[quote="Imdanny|1289970979|2769601
Then he should have married her and not Diana, and the stone is not 18cts (I know a lot of people are misinformed about this, but it's not).

Excellent point ImDanny...Diana was the big victim in this story and her husband (and his family) took advantage of her and put her through hell...The whole world knows that Camilla and Charles kept seeing each other after his marriage to Diana...How terrible and unethical was all that?Why did he ever marry Diana if he loved somebody else and why did he give her the impression that she was so special to him? Answer: Because his mother didn't want Camilla as a daughter in law and he didn't have the guts to stand up for what he felt was right for him. It is them who didn't know how to behave in general and not Diana who was a sweetheart and the entire world loved her...Indeed i totally despise what they did to her...[/quote]

Yes he should have married Camilla, but he had to do his naval service and didn't commit to her as he felt he was too young at the time and not having asked her to wait for him came back to find that she'd married someone else. Charles was eventually told he had to marry, but it was the case that the bride had to be a virgin which ruled out a load of potentials and Diana's grandmother and the Queen Mother cooked the plan up between them. Why they thought a 19 year old who wasn't very bright and who liked clothes and parties and pop music would be an ideal match for a 31 year-old who like hunting/shooting/fishing, horses, watercolour painting and more intellectual pursuits I have no idea, but I'm presuming they thought she would just provide the heir and a spare and then do whatever she wanted with the opportunities that her position would provide. It was more about the uniting of the houses than a love match as far as they were concerned I imagine.

If Camilla had divorced her husband, at that time Charles could not have married her without giving up his right to the throne. The present Queen has never forgiven her uncle's abdication which forced her father onto the throne and into the limelight that he did not feel comfortable with, so Charles would have found it near impossible to do the same.

The Queen and Camilla actually have a lot of interests in common and she would have been much preferred as a daughter in law.

Diana was hardly a totally innocent party and had a string of affairs herself - with very dodgy men. I think she was very badly advised by her own family - she was born into the aristocracy and knew how she was supposed to behave and that her position as wife to the heir apparent would not give her a normal life and carried duty and responsibility towards the country and the monarchy. So she did a lot of charity work - well the Princess Royal did/does more charity work than any of them and yet it's hardly acknowledged.

The Princess Royal also managed to divorce her husband and marry her true love without any nonsense and 'poor little me' going on.

She obviously adored her sons, but perhaps if she'd been at home looking after them rather than cavorting round Paris with a man who was engaged to someone else she wouldn't be dead. Ultimately William and Harry have been the most injured parties in all of this.

She was not loved by everyone either - there are many, many people in the UK who like me are staunch monarchists had very little time for her. I was appalled by the public hysteria when she died, it was just ridiculous.

 

[Pandora II]

[quote="Imdanny|1289970979|2769601
Then he should have married her and not Diana, and the stone is not 18cts (I know a lot of people are misinformed about this, but it's not).

Excellent point ImDanny...Diana was the big victim in this story and her husband (and his family) took advantage of her and put her through hell...The whole world knows that Camilla and Charles kept seeing each other after his marriage to Diana...How terrible and unethical was all that?Why did he ever marry Diana if he loved somebody else and why did he give her the impression that she was so special to him? Answer: Because his mother didn't want Camilla as a daughter in law and he didn't have the guts to stand up for what he felt was right for him. It is them who didn't know how to behave in general and not Diana who was a sweetheart and the entire world loved her...Indeed i totally despise what they did to her...[/quote]

Yes he should have married Camilla, but he had to do his naval service and didn't commit to her as he felt he was too young at the time and not having asked her to wait for him came back to find that she'd married someone else. Charles was eventually told he had to marry, but it was the case that the bride had to be a virgin which ruled out a load of potentials and Diana's grandmother and the Queen Mother cooked the plan up between them. Why they thought a 19 year old who wasn't very bright and who liked clothes and parties and pop music would be an ideal match for a 31 year-old who like hunting/shooting/fishing, horses, watercolour painting and more intellectual pursuits I have no idea, but I'm presuming they thought she would just provide the heir and a spare and then do whatever she wanted with the opportunities that her position would provide. It was more about the uniting of the houses than a love match as far as they were concerned I imagine.

If Camilla had divorced her husband, at that time Charles could not have married her without giving up his right to the throne. The present Queen has never forgiven her uncle's abdication which forced her father onto the throne and into the limelight that he did not feel comfortable with, so Charles would have found it near impossible to do the same.

The Queen and Camilla actually have a lot of interests in common and she would have been much preferred as a daughter in law.

Diana was hardly a totally innocent party and had a string of affairs herself - with very dodgy men. I think she was very badly advised by her own family - she was born into the aristocracy and knew how she was supposed to behave and that her position as wife to the heir apparent would not give her a normal life and carried duty and responsibility towards the country and the monarchy. So she did a lot of charity work - well the Princess Royal did/does more charity work than any of them and yet it's hardly acknowledged.

The Princess Royal also managed to divorce her husband and marry her true love without any nonsense and 'poor little me' going on.

She obviously adored her sons, but perhaps if she'd been at home looking after them rather than cavorting round Paris with a man who was engaged to someone else she wouldn't be dead. Ultimately William and Harry have been the most injured parties in all of this.

She was not loved by everyone either - there are many, many people in the UK who like me are staunch monarchists had very little time for her. I was appalled by the hysteria when she died, it was just ridiculous.

 

[waterlilly]

I think the ring is beautiful, imagine wearing the engagement ring that Princess Diana wore? Incredible.

This is a very pessimistic thought, but what would happen if they split? Would Kate then walk away with his mother's ring?

I think the ring is SO special, I'd be very weary of giving it to anyone, maybe a granddaughter would be more appropriate...but I certainly appreciate the meaning.

 

[vc10um]

but heck 18cts... wow!

Are you sure? It does not look that huge.

The Daily Mail newspaper is reporting 12cts, but who knows???

It's under 10 cts if I recall correctly. Someone solved this mystery in the royal jewels thread about a year ago. I've asked there for help finding the posts.

Also, I'm curious to know if the ring was remade for Kate (or Catherine). I know it was remade once for Diana already.

Perhaps 10-12 carats is the tcw of the ring, since those appear to be decent-sized diamonds in the halo?

Just a thought.

 

[Natylad]

Excellent point ImDanny...Diana was the big victim in this story and her husband (and his family) took advantage of her and put her through hell...The whole world knows that Camilla and Charles kept seeing each other after his marriage to Diana...How terrible and unethical was all that?Why did he ever marry Diana if he loved somebody else and why did he give her the impression that she was so special to him? Answer: Because his mother didn't want Camilla as a daughter in law and he didn't have the guts to stand up for what he felt was right for him. It is them who didn't know how to behave in general and not Diana who was a sweetheart and the entire world loved her...Indeed i totally despise what they did to her...

You know what else, natyLad? I predict this isn't the last time we're going to see William honoring his mother. Those who want to speak ill of the dead better get used to it. It's going to be a long haul.

ImDanny, you are absolutely right...I have patiently waited during all those years for William to grow up and honour his mother the way she deserved...I remember looking at his devastated face during her funeral and thinking that he will never forget her and he'll never allow anybody to forget...

 

[janinegirly]

I don't think there is any kind of omen associated with the ring - it just exemplifies/cements how significant Diana was to William (they were extremely close, almost kindred spirits with him "taking care of her' even as a small child). I don't think anyone who married him would be able to do so without fully embracing that part of him. I DO however think it is very very difficult to look at photos of her with the ring and NOT think of Diana and think back on those engagement photos when she also wore blue to match the ring. The ring got heavy coverage at the time--everyone knew what the ring looked like and there were waves of copy cats, knock off versions,etc. When I heard he had given her Diana's ring, I thought it was one of her rings, not THE ring which was so quintessential Diana. It is rather poetic though.

 

[junebug17]

Kate and William seem happy and at peace with the choice of the ring. They don't seem too concerned about karma or omens, so that's good enough for me. They apparently view it as a tribute to a mother who is loved and missed very much. And I am very impressed with Kate's willingness to have it as her ering, I think it's a sign of her great love for her fiance. No footstomping, no "but I want my own ring"...more like "I'll join you, and support you in remembering your mother in a very special way". My opinion of her has skyrocketed.

 

[Maisie]

I think the ring is beautiful, imagine wearing the engagement ring that Princess Diana wore? Incredible.

This is a very pessimistic thought, but what would happen if they split? Would Kate then walk away with his mother's ring?

I think the ring is SO special, I'd be very weary of giving it to anyone, maybe a granddaughter would be more appropriate...but I certainly appreciate the meaning.

I believe if this happened the ring would return to William.

 

[Lula]

Kate and William seem happy and at peace with the choice of the ring. They don't seem too concerned about karma or omens, so that's good enough for me. They apparently view it as a tribute to a mother who is loved and missed very much. And I am very impressed with Kate's willingness to have it as her engagement ring, I think it's a sign of her great love for her fiance. No footstomping, no "but I want my own ring"...more like "I'll join you, and support you in remembering your mother in a very special way". My opinion of her has skyrocketed.

Mine, too, Junebug! It may be worth remembering that it's only been 13 years since Diana's death -- not a very long time, especially considering William's still a young man and he lost his mother at the tender age of 15. So to William and Kate -- Catherine -- perhaps it's more about remembering Diana in her role as his mother, not as the stylish but very sad princess trapped in a loveless marriage, which is the way many of us remember her. So I was touched that William wanted Kate to wear the ring and that she accepted.

But if William asks Kate to wear that hideous meringue of a wedding dress...well, that's an entirely different matter!

 

[Maisie]

I have my heart set on her wearing a dress from Bruce Oldfield. He has the most amazing style.

 

[Beacon]

I am really happy with this engagement and like the timing too - nearby the holidays - it's very fun. I am super nostalgic as I recall the first wedding so well. I was in school and thought Diana was really cool and so elegant and I got up early to watch that wedding on TV (5am US time as I recall). Now seeing that ring come back..............at first I had a chill but then I warmed up to it. I am enjoying this!

 

[TravelingGal]

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40217151/ns/today-today_people/

Can someone correct the press already? And a mention of Natural Sapphire Company in this article too. Hopefully all these new customers aren't looking for sapphire "pairs".

 

[T L]

I wonder if that will mean a resurgence in this style of ring.

Funny you should say that. I heard on the radio this evening (in Calgary) that the Natural Sapphire Co's phone is ringing off the hook .......

I don't think that design has ever gone out of style. I see it being sold all the time in stores and online.

 

[T L]

Well, you cannot compare this marriage to Charles first marraige. This is a love match, and for Charles, the Royal Family was just looking for a breeding mare with some royal blood, and a virgin to boot. I'm glad the royal family has opened up their minds and realized that they should let their first born heir apparents marry for love. I think Diana was a victim of that tug for the Prince of Wales to marry and produce a royal heir. Not her fault, as she was very young and impressionable, however Diana did become a much loved figure regardless, and I think the ring is a wonderful tribute to his mother. No matter who she was to the royal family, and what she meant to Charles, she is still that young man's mother, and the mother of the future King of England.

 

[Maisie]

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40217151/ns/today-today_people/

Can someone correct the press already? And a mention of Natural Sapphire Company in this article too. Hopefully all these new customers aren't looking for sapphire "pairs".

 

[kimchi]

I think the ring is beautiful, imagine wearing the engagement ring that Princess Diana wore? Incredible.

This is a very pessimistic thought, but what would happen if they split? Would Kate then walk away with his mother's ring?

I think the ring is SO special, I'd be very weary of giving it to anyone, maybe a granddaughter would be more appropriate...but I certainly appreciate the meaning.

Ah, but if you are going to have to confront the ghost of Diana anyway, you might as well do it up front and let it wear off. No matter what ring he gave Kate, and no matter who he chose to marry, there would be comparisons. I give Kate kudos for wearing it and taking on the challenge.

 

[Natylad]

[quote="Imdanny|1289970979|2769601
Then he should have married her and not Diana, and the stone is not 18cts (I know a lot of people are misinformed about this, but it's not).

Excellent point ImDanny...Diana was the big victim in this story and her husband (and his family) took advantage of her and put her through hell...The whole world knows that Camilla and Charles kept seeing each other after his marriage to Diana...How terrible and unethical was all that?Why did he ever marry Diana if he loved somebody else and why did he give her the impression that she was so special to him? Answer: Because his mother didn't want Camilla as a daughter in law and he didn't have the guts to stand up for what he felt was right for him. It is them who didn't know how to behave in general and not Diana who was a sweetheart and the entire world loved her...Indeed i totally despise what they did to her...

Yes he should have married Camilla, but he had to do his naval service and didn't commit to her as he felt he was too young at the time and not having asked her to wait for him came back to find that she'd married someone else. Charles was eventually told he had to marry, but it was the case that the bride had to be a virgin which ruled out a load of potentials and Diana's grandmother and the Queen Mother cooked the plan up between them. Why they thought a 19 year old who wasn't very bright and who liked clothes and parties and pop music would be an ideal match for a 31 year-old who like hunting/shooting/fishing, horses, watercolour painting and more intellectual pursuits I have no idea, but I'm presuming they thought she would just provide the heir and a spare and then do whatever she wanted with the opportunities that her position would provide. It was more about the uniting of the houses than a love match as far as they were concerned I imagine.

If Camilla had divorced her husband, at that time Charles could not have married her without giving up his right to the throne. The present Queen has never forgiven her uncle's abdication which forced her father onto the throne and into the limelight that he did not feel comfortable with, so Charles would have found it near impossible to do the same.

The Queen and Camilla actually have a lot of interests in common and she would have been much preferred as a daughter in law.

Diana was hardly a totally innocent party and had a string of affairs herself - with very dodgy men. I think she was very badly advised by her own family - she was born into the aristocracy and knew how she was supposed to behave and that her position as wife to the heir apparent would not give her a normal life and carried duty and responsibility towards the country and the monarchy. So she did a lot of charity work - well the Princess Royal did/does more charity work than any of them and yet it's hardly acknowledged.

The Princess Royal also managed to divorce her husband and marry her true love without any nonsense and 'poor little me' going on.

She obviously adored her sons, but perhaps if she'd been at home looking after them rather than cavorting round Paris with a man who was engaged to someone else she wouldn't be dead. Ultimately William and Harry have been the most injured parties in all of this.

She was not loved by everyone either - there are many, many people in the UK who like me are staunch monarchists had very little time for her. I was appalled by the hysteria when she died, it was just ridiculous.[/quote]

 

[Pandora II]

Looks like it may well be Westminster Abbey - Kate visited yesterday evening.

It would probably be the better choice of the two - if they marry at St Paul's it will be the Charles/Diana wedding all over again, whereas Westminster Abbey is where the Queen and the Queen Mother were both married. There has only been one other marriage at St Pauls (although it was Old St Paul's and between Catherine of Aragon and Arthur (Henry VIII's older brother) which was hardly a great success either!).

Can't wait - I love Royal Weddings and it's about time the monarchy have a success story.

 

[janinegirly]

Westminster Abbey is a good choice! St Paul's is grand but as you said a bit too in lock step with the Diana engagement. I am excited for the Royal Wedding as well - I actually lined up outside of Buckingham Palace for Fergie's.

I wonder if history will repeat itself and an 80's style decade is to follow!

 

[Maisie]

Looks like it may well be Westminster Abbey - Kate visited yesterday evening.

It would probably be the better choice of the two - if they marry at St Paul's it will be the Charles/Diana wedding all over again, whereas Westminster Abbey is where the Queen and the Queen Mother were both married. There has only been one other marriage at St Pauls (although it was Old St Paul's and between Catherine of Aragon and Arthur (Henry VIII's older brother) which was hardly a great success either!).

Can't wait - I love Royal Weddings and it's about time the monarchy have a success story.

I agree! I have a soft spot for the royal family and even though they seem like they have let us down in the past, they are still our royals. I think its good to remember that they are real people with real feelings.

 

[Imdanny]

I have my heart set on her wearing a dress from Bruce Oldfield. He has the most amazing style.

Something simple and elegant like this would be perfect IMHO.