if you were kate middleton...

[gina32]

... would you be pleased with your mother in laws engagement ring? i know i wouldnt!

[smudge]

Exactly boxtops!

[jno]

Sara, yes, I don't actually believe in diamonds with jinxes and omens and things. The only symbolism I can see in this is between the two people involved: he loves her enough to give her a precious memento of his mother, who died young. I really can't see a problem here.

[sara3]

thanks smudge :o)

boxy, agreed.

btw, I wouldn't have wanted my ex-MIL's rings because a) she has very poor taste and b) she's a bloody huge woman so I would imagine there would be no prospect of ever getting them off her fat fingers! (she loved me, too)

[Zeuhl]

sara

you describe my point exactly with your own reference.

You have a ring from a failed marriage - but presumably when the ring was first given there was at least some genuine positive feelings and they remain with the ring.

Not so with the Diana ring - it was used as a token in a massive deceit of a young woman by a family who all knew what was really happening.
.

[sara3]

maybe we've talked at cross-purposes then, Zeulh ;o)

well hey, perhaps he gave her the ring to annoy daddy and step-mother!

[smudge]

I think William is aware of all that Zeuhl, but as I mentioned earlier, I think he & Kate are looking at the positive aspects for 'them', not the negative....

[smudge]

That also crossed my mind sara! ;o}

Diana will never be forgotten C&C!

[Zeuhl]

I guess so smudge and that's really good if they are - I wish them all the best.

I don't pretend to know what William's perspective on his parents' marriage might be, but whenever I see those engagement pictures of C, D and that ring - and all that "well whatever love means" guff...

- it turns my stomach.
.

[smudge]

I know what you mean Zeuhl - it makes my skin crawl too!

Diana looked so 'in love' at that engagement interview, but it's now patently obvious that Charlie couldn't wait for the next romp with Camilla.

[sara3]

I also agree. I was telling my 16 yr old daughter about that last night and his "whatever love means" comment. she was only 19, and was used by the royal family.

[Mosaic]

Do wot? get a ruddy good pre-nup in place on the tightwad before he's allowed another inch.

[shaneystar2]

Dear oh dear ..these are people we don't know personally and are never likely to know personally unless of course her Maj is actually on AB icognito .You never know :)
They have no sway or say over us anymore unlike previous monarchs in days of yore who would have our heads off at the drop off a hat if they could read all this gubbins

The royals are well known for recycling their jewelry .It's an heirloom .If she's
happy with it then who are we to criticise .I wouldn't turn my nose up at it .
Good luck to them .It's nice to have something happy to read about in the gloom and doom that's going about at the moment .

[Zeuhl]

<<The royals are well known for recycling their jewelry>>

But they are not well known for divorcing (not recently anyway) so did Diana still own it after her divorce?

And if it was her property, who did she leave it to?
.

[smudge]

My sentiments entirely shaney! I'm sick to death of hearing negative news day in, day out!

Let's have some cheer for a change! ;o}

[shaneystar2]

Zeuhl ..They are a young couple branching out into married life .It's their business and good luck to them .Perhaps she left it to him in her will ?
Who knows and quite fankly who cares as long as they are happy .

[Zeuhl]

Shaney

Well it's not entirely <<< their business >>> is it?

Because they called in the media and announced their engagement on every available platform from Facebook to Twitter.

<,<who cares as long as they are happy>>>

Well perhaps we should as they are likely to be our monarchs at some point and we are paying for most of it?

I was just curious whether Charles and The Family had grabbed back the ring from Diana's dead fingers.
.

[joeluke]

At the end of the day it's just a ring, so who cares whether it came from Diana, Argos or off the top of a Coke can?

A near 100 post thread arguing about something so trivial and unimportant

[jno]

the ring would have been hers, surely, Zeuhl? It was given to her. She could leave her possessions to anyone she liked.

I wouldn't bet that they pleaded with ITV to interview them; rather more likely the request came from ITV and they did their best to comply with public/media interest, which is part of the job specification these days. It's still up to them to make their relationship work. It'll be easier because they have no money worries; it'll be harder because reporters will be chasing them into underpasses. As I have only limited interest in them, I'm happy to let them get on with it.

As for the notion that the public is paying for it all... well, yesterday someone was complaining that we'd be paying for the ring; today they're complaining because we're not. Since they can't win, they're probably better off trying to ignore the complaining and just do it.

[craft1948]

Diana's estate was shared between William and Harry. Allegedly William asked for his mother's enagagement ring as a keepsake and it was agreed between him and Harry that the first one to get engaged would give the ring to their fiancee........as this was in the DM this may of course be rubbish.

[cc1]

I thought the ring was a lovely gesture and he spoke well about wanting to "include" his mother some way. Whatever everyone's opinions are of his mother, mine are toxic, he loved her, warts and all.
However I do wish the Diana influence could be eradicated from discussions of their future, they have to be free to make their own life together without these continuous comparisons. This seems to be the reverse of elephant in the room.