Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen’s mother, got engaged to Prince Albert – the future King George VI in 1923. The prince proposed to his fiancée with a sapphire ring with diamond accents.
The Queen Mother and King George VI announced their engagement in January 1923, but Elizabeth reportedly turned down the then Prince’s proposal three times before agreeing to it.
The couple wed on April 26, 1923, in Westminster Abbey.
Elizabeth became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York, while her husband was the Duke of York, before becoming King when his brother abdicated the throne in 1936.
The Queen Mother wore a 1920s style ivory dress for her big day, embroidered with pearls and silver thread
READ MORE: Wilko slashes 30 percent off home and kitchen in big sale
Elizabeth chose not to wear a tiara, opting for a modern floral headpiece instead.
She matched this with three necklaces of varying length.
The Queen Mother’s wedding ring was made of Welsh gold, as is traditional for all female members of the Royal Family.
Her engagement ring at the time was a Kashmir sapphire with diamond on either side.
DON’T MISS:
Kashmir diamonds are “the most rare and highly prized of all sapphires”, according to experts at the Antique Jewellery Company.
However, this did not stop the Queen Mother from completely altering the ring a few years later.
Although it is not clear when Elizabeth swapped her engagement ring for a new design altogether, she was seen wearing the new ring as early as 1946.
In the…
