Why Princess Diana's £110,000 engagement ring was frowned upon

Princess Diana’s sapphire engagement ring continues to be considered among the most iconic and most expensive British royal engagement ring to date.

Shortly after her engagement to Prince Charles, Diana chose the ring herself but it was widely criticised as it was not "fitting for a royal bride”.

Sarah Royce-Greensill wrote in The Telegraph and broke down why the £110,000 piece was frowned upon.

"When Prince Charles and Diana announced their engagement, the gathered press admired its size and the fact that the blue stone complemented her eyes," she wrote. 

"But then came reports that the ring wasn’t a special one-off commission but, shock horror, was selected from shop stock - meaning that anyone could walk into Garrard and buy the same ring as the future Queen of England."

"Never mind that the ring reportedly cost £28,500 (approximately £110,000 in today’s money) - its non-unique nature was seen in some camps as not fitting for a royal bride."

Tobias Kormind, Managing Director of 77 Diamonds, expressed similar sentiments as he branded the choice as "unusual".

"Her [Diana’s] decision was unusual among royal circles in the sense that it wasn't a bespoke commission created especially for her," he said.