13 Royal Engagement Photos Throughout the Years

Prince William and Kate Middleton pose for photographs at St. James Palace for engagement — Chris Jackson / Getty Images

Today, whenever a couple gets engaged, the pair often announces their new relationship status to their wider circles by posting a photo on their social media accounts. While this modern-day practice was recently popularized due to the ubiquity of the internet, the British royal family has been long accustomed to this photo-sharing behavior. For nearly a century, it's been a long-standing tradition that the institution releases an official portrait of the newly engaged duo to share the exciting news with the public. While this time-honored ritual began with black-and-white photographs, it's evolved to include Instagram posts from Buckingham Palace or the couple of honor. Instead of engagement ring selfies, though, these images typically include a formal shot taken by a professional—but often, the bauble is on full display.

Throughout the years, there have been many notable royal engagement photos. Take, for instance, the sweet pictures that Princess Diana (formerly Lady Diana Spencer) and King Charles III (then-Prince Charles) used to mark their engagement, followed by an interview about their relationship that set a future precedent. Other beloved shots were the ones of a beaming Kate Middleton and Prince William snapped after their engagement, which evoked nostalgia by repurposing Diana's diamond-and-sapphire engagement ring.

Curious which other engaged royals made a splash with their announcements? Read on for 13 notable royal engagement photos throughout the years.

01 of 13

Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and King George VI, 1923

king george VI and elizabeth bowes-lyon in black-and-white royal engagement portrait — Getty Images

In January 1923, Albert, Duke of York (who was later crowned King George VI), caused quite a stir by announcing his engagement to a non-royal, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (who eventually became Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother). When the duke got down on one knee, Elizabeth was hesitant to accept his proposal—and their engagement photos capture her reservations: Photographed in Elizabeth’s London home, the series of pictures show the two of them standing stiffly apart from one another, with serious expressions on their faces. They got married three months later at Westminster Abbey.

02 of 13

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, 1947

Black-and-White Portrait of Philip Mountbatten and Queen Elizabeth II Standing in Buckingham Palace — AFP / Getty Images

Prince Philip proposed to Queen Elizabeth II (formerly Princess Elizabeth) after a month-long vacation at Balmoral with her family. Since her father insisted that they keep their engagement under wraps until Elizabeth turned 21 years old, the duo shared news of their future marriage on July 10, 1947. The collection of royal engagement photos were taken around Buckingham Palace. While the bride-to-be flashed her engagement ring (a first for a royal), which was made out of diamonds from Philip’s mother’s tiara, Philip wore his World War II uniform to convey endearment. They married later that year at Westminster Abbey.

03 of 13

Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1960

Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones Linking Arms and Looking at Each Other in Palace Room — Hulton Archive / Getty Images

Two years after meeting and keeping much of their relationship from the public, Princess Margaret (Elizabeth’s sister) and Antony Armstrong-Jones revealed their engagement. To disseminate the news, they tapped photos that were taken at the Royal Lodge, Windsor, with Margaret debuting her ruby engagement ring. Like their predecessors, they wed at Westminster Abbey that year, but they later divorced in 1978.

04 of 13

Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, 1973

princess anne and lieutenant mark phillips smiling and looking off to the side outside — Getty Images

Six weeks after Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s only daughter of their four children, got engaged to Mark Phillips at the Badminton Horse Trials, they publicized the milestone on May 29, 1973. The following day, they posed for pictures in the garden of Buckingham Palace, which became their royal engagement photos. While they tied the knot near the end of 1973, they eventually ended their marriage in 1992. That same year, she said “I do” to Timothy Laurence, but there weren’t any engagement photos taken before.

05 of 13

Princess Diana and King Charles III, 1981

Princess Diana in blue outfit showing sapphire and diamond engagement ring with king charles behind him — Getty Images

Lady Di and Charles announced their engagement on February 24, 1981, with snaps captured on the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Diana’s sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring was a focal point of each image. The two also marked the milestone by doing an interview (a practice that would persist), which is infamous for Charles’ response, “Whatever ‘love’ means,” when a reporter asked if they were in love. The couple eventually married one another at St. Paul's Cathedral that year, but after a tumultuous marriage, they finalized their divorce in 1996.

06 of 13

Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, 1986

Sarah Ferguson Linking Arms With Prince Andrew in Black Coats — Getty Images

Prince Andrew, Elizabeth and Philip’s third child, told the public about his proposal to Sarah Ferguson (who became known as Fergie) on March 19, 1986. Their royal engagement photos demonstrate the two of them flaunting the ruby-and-diamond engagement ring and smiling outside of Buckingham Palace. The duo were spouses for a decade before their marriage came to an end in 1996.

07 of 13

Sophie Rhys-Jones and Prince Edward, 1999

Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones Smiling in Front of Cherry Blossoms — Getty Images

Five years after dating, Prince Edward, Elizabeth and Philip’s fourth and youngest child, and Sophie Rhys-Jones (now known as Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh) released their engagement photos in January 1999. In the images, the newly engaged pair is linking arms and smiling in front of a cherry blossom tree at St. James’s Palace. Shortly after news of their engagement, they exchanged vows in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

08 of 13

King Charles III and Camilla Parker-Bowles, 2005

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles Standing in Matching Plaid Attire — Pool / Tim Graham Picture Library / Getty Images

Following his divorce from Diana, Charles got engaged to Camilla Parker Bowles (now Queen Camilla) in 2005. While the monarch usually relayed the news, Charles took it upon himself to update the public about his future wedding to Camilla. (Elizabeth did release a statement later, though.) While there weren’t any official engagement photos, they shared a portrait of themselves at Birkhall in Scotland to make their engagement known. They've been together ever since.

09 of 13

Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall, 2010

Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall Pose in the Snow — Tim Ireland / WPA Pool / Getty Images

Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Phillips, announced her engagement to Mike Tindall on December 21, 2010. Unlike the other royal engagement photos before them, their snapshots were comparatively casual: Both were dressed in sweatshirts and jeans, and they posed in the snow outside of their Gloucester home. The two had their wedding at Canongate Kirk on July 30, 2011, in Edinburgh, Scotland.

10 of 13

Kate Middleton and Prince William, 2010

kate middleton and prince william linking arms and smiling in front of fireplace in palace — Getty Images

While they were on vacation in Kenya in 2010, William popped the question to Kate. A few weeks later, on November 16, 2010, both Clarence House and Prince Charles told the public. Their engagement photos were shot at St. James’s Palace, and each one highlighted the future Princess of Wales’ engagement ring—the same one that Diana received from Charles nearly three decades before. They made it official on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey.

11 of 13

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, 2017

meghan markle and prince harry smiling and standing outside on patio — Getty Images

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex) conveyed news of their engagement on November 27, 2017. Shortly after, they released their official photos, which show the two of them posing in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace and drawing attention to Meghan’s three-stone diamond engagement ring—which included a center stone from Botswana (where their relationship got serious) and two side stones from Diana’s collection. Six months later, on May 19, 2018, they traded vows at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

12 of 13

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, 2018

Jack Brooksbank and Princess Eugenie Holding Hands and Smiling in Palace Room — Jonathan Brady / WPA Pool / Getty Images)

When Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank were in Nicaragua, Jack proposed with a pink padparadscha sapphire, surrounded by diamonds. The royal family’s official Twitter account (now X) posted their engagement photos on January 22, 2018, which exhibit the pair embracing one another in the picture gallery of the palace. They've been married since October 2018, a celebration that took place at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

13 of 13

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

Buckingham Palace issued a statement in September 2019 that declared Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi’s engaged, an event that took place on a trip to Italy. A royal first, Beatrice’s sister, Eugenie, captured and posted the couple’s engagement photos. ““Beabea – wow! I’m so happy for you my dearest big sissy and dear Edo,” she captioned her post. “It’s been a long time coming and you two are meant to be. 📷 by me!!” In addition to couple shots, the collection of images featured her diamond bauble. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the two tied the knot in an intimate gathering at the Royal Chapel of All Saints, Royal Lodge, Windsor, on July 17, 2020.

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