Princess Anne's Son Proposes With $13K Ring and It Has a Special Connection to Grandma Elizabeth
Peter Phillips, the eldest grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, recently announced his engagement to Harriet Sperling on August 1. While the Queen isn't here to bless their union, the engagement ring Peter chose carries a touching connection to his grandmother, which many missed.
Peter, 47, proposed to Sperling, 45, with a timeless engagement ring from Pragnell, a luxury jeweler who has long been connected to the royal family. The choice of ring reportedly wasn't a coincidence; instead, it's likely a tribute to the strong marriage that helped shape the modern royal family.
Pragnell’s legacy dates back to 1954, when George Pragnell opened the jewelry house in Mayfair. Before launching his own business, Pragnell had personally served Queen Mary and was once asked to entertain young Queen Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret, while their grandmother shopped for jewels. Pragnell later acquired Philip Antrobus, the same jewelry house responsible for crafting Queen Elizabeth’s iconic engagement ring, the one Prince Philip used to propose in 1946. That three-carat diamond ring has since become a powerful symbol of one of history’s most enduring royal marriages. And it holds its own secrets.
Like many royal brides, the late Queen’s wedding band was made from rare Welsh gold, a tradition followed by Princess Diana, Kate Middleton, and Meghan Markle. But what made her engagement ring unique was the diamonds Philip used, which came from a tiara belonging to his mother, Princess Alice of Battenberg (a wedding gift to Alice from Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra of Russia). It also bore a secret engraved message from Prince Philip that is not known to anyone but the couple and the ring maker. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward, in her book Prince Philip: A Portrait of the Duke of Edinburgh, explained, "She never takes it off," which is why the message remains a mystery to this day.
Now, decades later, Peter has chosen a ring that subtly mirrors that same blend of history and meaning. Diamond expert Tobias Kormind, co-founder of 77 Diamonds, said Peter’s chosen ring appears to be a classic trilogy design, with a central oval or round diamond flanked by trapeze or triangular side stones. A similar design today, he noted, would start around $13,300 (£10,000), depending on its size and craftsmanship, PEOPLE reported.
Peter is the son of Princess Anne and her first husband, Mark Phillips, who keeps a relatively low profile and is a non-working royal, like his sister Zara Tindall. He was previously married to Autumn Kelly from 2008 to 2021, and they share two daughters, Savannah, 14, and Isla, 13. Sperling, meanwhile, has a daughter named Georgia from a previous relationship, the Daily Mail reported.