Princess Diana's brother Charles Spencer wasted no time before proposing to his ex-wife Victoria Lockwood – he presented her with a very unusual engagement ring after just six weeks of dating.
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Instead of a traditional solitaire, the 9th Earl Spencer chose a heart-shaped ring made up of a diamond and a ruby with a crown-like design on top and mini diamonds around the outside. The former British model was pictured at the Spencer family home, Althorp House, wearing the rock, and it looked almost identical to one formerly owned by the Queen's great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
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Victora's half-sister Princess Feodora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg reportedly gave the monarch a ring engraved with the words: "Unis a jamai", which translates to "united forever" as a wedding present.
Meanwhile, Princess Diana chose her own engagement ring – which is now the property of the Duchess of Cambridge – from a selection of gems presented to her by the Queen, most of which were family heirlooms.
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Victoria Lockwood's unusual engagement ring
However, she eschewed those that had been owned by the family's ancestors and opted for the sapphire and diamond ring, which was a stock item from London jewellers Garrard & Co's catalogue.
Her decision was supposedly because it reminded her of her mother's engagement ring, and also matched her eyes.
The couple got married in 1989
Charles and Victoria got married in 1989, with Diana's youngest son Prince Harry as a pageboy. They held their wedding ceremony at Althorp House, where Charles still lives, and Victoria wore a vintage cream patterned dress from Tomasz Starzewski with long sleeves, button detail down the front and a fur trim. She added a flowing veil and accessorised with the Spencer tiara.
The couple share four children and welcomed daughter Kitty in 1990, twins Eliza and Amelia in 1992, and son Louis in 1994, before splitting in 1997. Charles went on to marry Karen Spencer in 2011.
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