After the pomp and ceremony of the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton earlier in the year, it seemed that we at Mad About Diamonds would finally get a chance to catch our breath and recover from the delight of William choosing the engagement rings uk that belonged to his mother, Princess Diana; not to mention the months of speculation about, and then the actual excitement of, the big day itself.


However, just as the nation was beginning to calm down (with possibly the occasional purchase of engagement rings uk sprinkled among the populace), the next Royal Wedding roared into view.  The nuptuals of Zara Philips and Mike Tindall were a far less formal affair, with no bank holiday, no multi-channel coverage and, according to the Gossip columnists, a considerable amount of alcohol quaffing (no doubt, led by Mike Tindall’s England Rugby team colleagues!)


Of course, it was an excellent opportunity for Mad About Diamonds to look back at those engagement rings uk that William gave to Kate and Mike gave to Zara back in December 2010.


Mike’s choice for Zara with its simple rows of pave diamonds, either side of an exquisite solitaire diamond, was always a contrast to the opulence of Princess Diana’s ring.  At the time of the engagement, it was universally acknowledged what good taste Mike had displayed with his choice, opting as he did for understated platinum bands, rather than a white gold engagement ring.


The wedding day itself bore traces of the same unassuming charm with the ceremony taking place at Canongate in Edinburgh, a Presbyterian Kirk that was described as “uncomplicated to the point of austerity”.  The reception was held, away from the prying eyes of the press and public, in Holyrood house with a long night of Laurent Perrier infused celebrations!


As a Yorkshireman, it was always likely that Tindall would be an uncomplicated sort of man.  And it is this shared sense of normality (despite Zara being 13th in line to the throne) that makes the nation love this couple even more. As with William and Kate, they have (in contrasting ways) made the public engage with the Royal Family again – youthful and unfussy, yet quintessentially stylish and self-confident, they’ve made both the monarchy and, dare we say it, weddings cool again.


At Mad About Diamonds, we’re unashamed fans of both couples.  Why not come and look at our range of engagement rings uk and see if you’ve caught the royal wedding bug too?