It's been 25 years since Duchess Sophie debuted her dazzling engagement ring from Prince Edward, so it's hard to remember a time when she didn't wear the gorgeous accessory.
The Duchess of Edinburgh's trilogy ring features a two-carat central oval diamond flanked by two heart-shaped diamonds, and it is normally layered next to Sophie's Welsh gold wedding band, made from the same Clogau nugget as royals such as Princess Anne, the late Queen Elizabeth and Meghan Markle.
© Paul Grover/ShutterstockBoth have been notably absent on several occasions since August. She subtly swapped them for simple alternatives, but she made sure nobody noticed.
Earlier this month, Sophie made an elegant appearance in Malta wearing a full-length floaty white Zimmerman skirt covered in poppies alongside a neutral raffia belt and a white V-neck blouse. She accessorised with a raffia clutch, heeled wedges, a Monica Vinada Friendship Bracelet and the gold £128 'Africa' ring from Giulia Barela on her left hand.
© Mark CuthbertIn September, Sophie switched up her jewellery again as she attended the opening of the Domaine Evremond Winery in Canterbury. She was pictured sniffing a glass of white wine with a taupe manicure and a delicate silver ring.
She had previously sported the same piece of jewellery during a visit to Mane Chance Sanctuary and the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Sophie's engagement ring
© Tim GrahamPrince Edward announced his engagement to former PR executive Sophie Rhys-Jones in January 1999 following a six-year relationship.
Speaking about their long-term relationship, he said at their engagement photocall: "It's impossible for anyone else to understand why this has taken me so long [to propose], but I don't think it would have been right before and I don't think Sophie would have said yes before.
© Getty"Hopefully by the fact she did say yes I must have got the timing right."
While he remained tight-lipped about the setting, he said: "I managed to take her completely by surprise, she had no idea it was coming," and Sophie continued: "I was slightly stunned for a minute, and then I realised I should probably answer the question so then I said, 'Yes, yes please.'"
© GettyEdward presented Sophie with a gorgeous ring reported to be worth an estimated £105,000 ($149,000) and joked: "Have you got your dark glasses on? If it catches the sun, you'll be blinded."
The royal's ring has a subtle link to Sarah Ferguson, the late Princess Diana and Princess Kate's rocks, since it is also from Garrard. See them all below...
Missing rings
Autumn of 2024 is not the first time Duchess Sophie has removed her diamond ring. Back in 2020, she visited the Shooting Star Chase Hospice and at the Central School of Ballet in February and the Thames Valley Air Ambulance in Maidenhead in September wearing just her gold wedding band.
It's possible that the Duchess' decision to remove her ring was due to hygiene reasons amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ: 5 royals spotted without their engagement rings – and the real reasons why
