Yesterday, Zara Phillips, granddaughter to the Queen of England, announced her engagement to English Rugby Player, Mike Tindall. And so begins the battle royale.
Because Phillips is also the cousin of the newly engaged, and daily headline inducing, Prince William, who announced his engagement a scant 8 weeks ago.
Today’s comparison comes just hours after Phillips’s engagement ring was revealed and much in the same vein of the Jessica Simpson Vs. Vanessa Minillio fight some seemed intent on inducing, questions like, who’s ring is better: Middleton Vs. Phillips are crowding the blogosphere today.
The answer will obviously vary from person to person, as with all engagement rings, different ring appeal to different people, so the question of better is irrelevant.
Middleton’s ring is an old familiar to people who remember the event that was Prince Charles and Princess Diana, William’s parents, courtship and wedding. In 1981, Charles proposed without a ring, leaving it up to Diana to choose what would work best for her. Diana both endeared herself to the public and slightly horrified the royal family when she chose an 18 carat sapphire engagement ring from a catalog that was also readily available to consumers, as opposed to any of the rings that were specifically designed for the future princess herself. Over time, the ring became as iconic as Diana herself, and today sits on the finger of the next future princess, Kate Middleton.
However Phillips, of royal blood but not a royal, received a new ring rather than a hand me down. Just one day after their engagement was announced, pictures of Phillips wearing a solitaire Round cut diamond set onto a platinum split shank , adorned with pave’ set diamonds were released. Purposely not bestowed with a royal titled by her mother, so as to have a chance at a more normal life, Phillips has always been known as a bit of a rebel in her younger days. So it is no wonder that she would buck tradition one more time by sporting a more modern engagement ring.
Competition and comparisons between the upcoming ceremonies are nonsensical as well, because while Phillips may be 12th in line for the throne, there is no trumping William, who has been groomed to be the future king since birth, and has generated worldwide interest for just as long.
Phillips and Tindall, however, have yet to set a date but are said to be looking into the second half of 2011, so as to not be eclipsed. We can’t blame Phillips though, who doesn’t want to feel like the center of attention on their own wedding day?