Several royal ladies have been known to make tweaks to their original engagement rings, but the Queen Mother went one step further and totally changed hers.
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After reportedly turning down Prince Albert's proposal several times, Elizabeth said yes and the couple got engaged in January 1923. Very few photos share a look at the original rock, but the Duke of York, who became King George VI, proposed to then-Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon with a vibrant ring not unlike the Princess of Wales' rock.
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In January 1923, Elizabeth was given a Kashmir sapphire – one of the rarest and most valuable sapphires known for its striking cornflower blue colour.
However, she didn't wear her original engagement ring for very long, as she was pictured wearing a large pearl surrounded by diamonds as early as 1946 when she posed for a photo with her daughters Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
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The Duke and Duchess of York got married in 1923
While she chose to swap her sapphire ring, the vibrant stone continued to be popular among other royal brides. Princess Diana chose a stunning sapphire and diamond design when she got engaged to now-King Charles in 1981, and the ring was later passed on to Princess Kate when Prince William popped the question in 2010.
Meanwhile, Princess Anne received two sapphire rings from Mark Phillips and Timothy Laurence.
The Duke of York married Elizabeth on 26 April 1923 at Westminster Abbey, and she became styled as Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York. The bride wore a 1920s-style ivory wedding dress, embroidered with pearls and silver thread.
The Queen Mother was pictured with her pearl engagement ring in 1946
Elizabeth chose not to wear a tiara, opting for a floral headpiece instead, but in her official wedding portraits, she did sport the Strathmore Rose Tiara. She complimented her original engagement ring with a Welsh gold wedding band, which is traditional among royal ladies.
After Albert's brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated the throne to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson in 1936, Elizabeth became the Queen Consort.
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