The touching story behind the Queen's engagement ring
Over the decades, the Queen has been noted for her various chic ensembles and elegant fashion choices.
But a special item has been a staple to her looks: her engagement ring.
The ring – which features a 3-carat round-cut diamond centre stone flanked with 10 small pave diamonds set in platinum – was created thanks to the sacrifice of Prince Philip’s mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg.
Although Prince Philip was born a Greek royalty, his family was not particularly wealthy. When the time came for him to propose to his then-girlfriend Princess Elizabeth in 1946, Alice gave Philip a tiara that was given to her on her wedding day to create the band for his partner.
The Prince worked with jewellers Philip Antrobus Ltd to dismantle the diamonds in the tiara to be used on the ring. He also picked other stones from the tiara to be crafted into a wide diamond bracelet as a wedding gift for the future British monarch.
According to Town & Country, the diamonds themselves dated back to the end of the Romanov dynasty. Princess Alice received the tiara from Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra of Russia.
Today, more than 70 years since her engagement in 1946, Her Majesty can still be spotted wearing the ring from time to time.
Scroll through the gallery above to see the Queen's sentimental engagement ring.