Kate Middleton’s wedding ring shares sweet quirk in common with Meghan Markle and late Queen
The wedding rings of Queen Elizabeth II, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and Princess Eugenie are actually very similar despite looking hugely different, an expert has outlined
Princess Kate’s wedding ring shares a cute quirk as that belonging to Meghan Markle and the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The three rings – and those of all royal brides in the past century – were crafted from the same nugget of gold from a particular mine in Gwynedd, north Wales.
The tradition started in 1923 when Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother, married the Duke of York and, ever since, all the wedding rings for royal brides have been crafted from gold at Clogau St.
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David’s Gold Mine, a historic site which is though to be the UK’s largest ever gold producer. Clogau, which already had “a long and illustrious history” with the British royal family prior to the 1920s, said the gold would symbolise the Queen Mother and Duke of York’s marriage.
Princess Kate’s engagement ring, which cost nearly £400,000, previously belonged to Princess Diana. Public information about Kate’s wedding ring, however, is far more scarce.
The tradition started when Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married Duke of York in April 1923
Clogau’s Managing Director Ben Roberts said: “The symbolism of Welsh gold within the royal family is a subtle nod to the proud and noble heritage of Wales, and highlights how important the country is to them.
“Welsh gold is possibly the rarest in the world, so we carefully make sure to include only a small amount within each piece of Clogau jewellery. Our goal is to help preserve the longevity of Welsh gold, whilst keeping Clogau affordable and accessible.”
Gold mining stopped at Clogau in 1998, though nuggets, including that used for the more recent royal brides’ rings, have been preserved. The site said yhe high cost of mining and diminishing quantities of gold being found led to the decision to cease operations.
And, speaking to Hello! magazine this week, Mr Roberts added: “We know there’s a concern about gold supplies eventually running out… It’s true that almost every piece of jewellery containing Welsh gold is marked with a dragon stamp.
“The eye-catching and original stamp helps identify a genuine piece of Clogau gold. But there are exceptions to the rule, and wedding bands are usually one of them, as they follow a more traditional and plain design. When it comes to the wedding rings of the royal family, it would not be surprising if they did not bear the dragon mark.”
