Throughout their 73-year marriage, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip kept one very special secret which is now set to be revealed.
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Up until her death aged 96 on 8 September, the monarch was spotted wearing her engagement and wedding rings from the Duke of Edinburgh, who sadly passed away on 9 April 2021. As is tradition, Her Majesty wore a Welsh gold wedding ring following her royal wedding in 1947, but Philip had a special message engraved inside the band which only three people had reportedly seen – the two royals and the jeweller.
WATCH: Look back at Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's 1947 wedding
Ingrid Seward, author of Prince Philip: Revealed, explained: "She never takes it off and inside the ring is an inscription. No one knows what it says, other than the engraver, the Queen and her husband." How sweet!
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The Queen's rings may now be passed to one of her children or grandchildren, meaning the message – which we imagine is very heartfelt – will become more widely known among the royals.
The Duke designed the Queen's engagement ring himself using diamonds that were handed down from his mother.
The monarch's wedding band features a secret engraving
The story goes that Princess Alice received a tiara as a wedding gift from her aunt Tsarina Alexandra of Russia and Tsar Nicholas II. Eventually, the stunning Romanov jewels that were in the headpiece formed part of the Queen’s beautiful engagement ring when the Duke designed it in London.
Her Majesty’s engagement ring features a brilliant-cut stone which has been estimated at 3 carats and it is flanked by smaller pavé diamonds. The ring was priceless to the Queen, and its royal owner only added to its value, but the piece of jewellery is said to be worth in the region of £150,000, according to The Diamond Store.
The Queen and Prince Philip on their wedding day in 1947
In a rather romantic touch, the Duke had the remaining diamonds from the tiara made into a pretty bracelet for his wife as a wedding gift.
The couple got engaged in July 1947 and married in November at Westminster Abbey. The Queen looked stunning in an elegant white satin dress created by Sir Norman Hartnell, which featured a 15-foot train as well as a fitted bodice and a floor-length panelled skirt. It was decorated with crystals and 10,000 seed pearls, all imported from the United States of America.
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