Recently, The Society of Jewellery Historians (UK) published a paper by Lea Felicitas Doding on the engagement ring given to Queen Mary by the Duke of Clarence in 1891 & the engagement bracelet given to her by George V in 1893.

The paper can be read, free of charge, on the society's website at

https://www.societyofjewelleryhistorians.ac.uk/JSO_2026_2.pdf

I encourage everyone who can to read this interesting paper.

It is a tour de force!!

I initially touched on both topics in 2022 & 2023 on Instagram.

My posts can be read at

Engagement bracelet https://www.instagram.com/p/CZx-h6zvsmR/?img_index=1

Engagement ring from the Duke of Clarence

https://www.instagram.com/p/CyiRUfkPgPX/?img_index=1

The 2 latest posts

https://www.instagram.com/p/DYtvhU0E4pH/?img_index=1

https://www.instagram.com/p/DYuQe_Hk5Jf/?img_index=1

After reading the paper I encouraged those who look at my Instagram page to read the paper & I did 2 more posts on the topics.

As most know, Instagram limits the number of words & images used. That meant that I could not outline all the evidence I found through research & why I made some of the comments I did. Suffice to say both topics drew on my skills as a historian.

Below are some of the images I posted very recently.


1 The ring/rings. I believe there were 2 rings used & that Queen Mary continued to wear them, above her wedding ring, throughout her life




One of the reasons why I had such a long delay in posting about the rings after my post on the engagement bracelet was the lack of a photo showing clear details of the ring.

Most, like the one below, don't have sufficient detail for me to evaluate what the ring consisted of. (The press had various descriptions)



Then, I obtained the image below



That allowed me to see that the original ring was a half hoop of rubies & diamonds.

Some media reports also contained references to a cabochon ruby & diamond ring.

In photos immediately after the engagement was announced only the half hoop is seen. But in slightly later photos 2 rings can be seen, one of which appeared to contain a cabochon ruby flanked by diamonds.

It was probably this which led to media reports that Princess May had been given a double hoop of rubies & diamonds.

Queen Mary continued to wear the rings after the death of the Duke of Clarence & it seemed to me that she wore them for the rest of her life.

1901


In my most recent post, I traced the Clarence engagement rings to 1950.


c 1918

This photo was published in magazines following the death of George V in 1936. Getty dates the image to c 1918. The clothing is very similar to styles we have seen worn by QM around 1918.




1927



1937


1950





In the paper, L F Doding traces how Queen Mary continued to wear her engagement ring by reference to an interview given by Hilda Grenier & published in Cosmopolitan in June 1933. Doding also evaluates why Queen Mary did this.

I had noted this when I did my post on the rings in 2023 & provided a rationale for why. See below





I again urge everyone to read Ms Doding's paper.

And again, Congratulations to L F Doding!!!