Throughout history, people have worn rings as visible markers of style, betrothal, loss, and status. So, if examined closely, a ring can reveal intimate details about its wearer.
Left: Portrait of Mary II when Princess of Orange by Sir Peter Lely 1677. © Royal Collection Trust, London. Right: Queen Mary’s ruby and diamond coronation ring, around 1677. © Harley Foundation, The Portland Collection
This ring belonged to Queen Mary II and is currently displayed in our museum. It was a gift to Hans Willem Bentick, the 1st Earl of Portland, and is part of Unseen Treasures of the Portland Collection.
The ring features a golden band with a large ruby at its centre and a diamond on either side. While, visually, the piece is a statement of wealth and grace, the journey of this ring and the tale it tells about the Queen is most fascinating.
Mary II’s Marriage
Mary’s story with this ring began in November 1677, when she was forced to marry Prince William of Orange for political reasons. Naturally, she was dismayed by the prospect of a loveless marriage and wept throughout her wedding ceremony. But just three days later, her distress began to soften. She had received a gift from her new husband, the ruby ring.
Authenticating note in Queen Mary II’s handwriting.
The piece became immediately valuable to her. She wrote (see letter above), “being the first thing he gave me, I have ever had a perticuler esteem for it”. For Mary, this ring became an unexpected sign – that one day, her involuntary betrothal could grow into a loving marriage.
As Mary’s letters to William suggest, it soon did. In July 1690, Mary wrote to her husband: “Adieu; think of me, and love me as much as I shall you, who I love more than my life”. She echoed this adoring sentiment throughout their correspondence.
Mary II’s Coronation
William III and Mary II at their coronation by Jakob van der Schley, 1735. Engraving. © Royal Collection Trust, London.
In April 1689, the ring took on new significance when William and Mary were crowned joint monarchs of England. For her coronation, Mary needed a ring to symbolise her marriage to the nation. Since rubies are customary in coronation rings dating back to the Middle Ages, Mary chose to repurpose her ruby ring for the occasion.
The ring was enlarged to fit the appropriate finger for the day, but an unexpected twist happened during the ceremony. Mary’s ring was placed on William’s finger, and his was put on hers. Once again, the ring marked an unforeseen occurrence for the Queen, as her rise to the throne began with an unlikely mix-up.
After the coronation, Mary reclaimed her ring and was to wear it forever. But the accessory offered another surprise. In November 1689, the Queen recorded that “the stone dropt out at diner”. Once she found the gem, she locked the ring away, afraid she might lose it again. For a third time, the ring was emblematic of the unpredictability of Mary’s life.
Mary II’s Death
In October 1694, Mary took the ring to the royal jeweller for repair. While he promptly mended and returned the piece, the Queen’s reunion with the ring lasted only two months. That December, the Queen fell ill unexpectedly and passed away nine days later.
Mary had put off repairing the ring for five years, unable to foresee her sudden end and convinced she would have more time to wear the piece again. So, the ring is symbolic of the final twist the Queen experienced: her untimely death.
This ring followed Mary from age fifteen to thirty-two and was a significant prop in the series of surprises she experienced in her short life. The ring is a token of her unexpected romance with her husband, the bungled beginning of her reign, her chance wardrobe malfunction, and the abrupt close to her life.
References
Sir Peter Lely. Mary II (1662-94), when Princess of Orange. 1677. Oil on canvas. Royal Collection Trust, London.
Queen Mary II. Queen Mary’s Ring. – Authenticating Paper in her Handwriting. Harley Foundation, the Portland Collection.
Queen Mary II. “Queen Mary II to William III: Whitehall, July 15/5, 1690”. Some Famous Love-Letters. Ed. Marjorie Bowen. Herbert Jenkins Ltd., London, 1939.
Jakob van der Schley. William III and Mary II. 1735. Engraving. Royal Collection Trust, London.
Jess Ilse. “The sparkling jewel that symbolises the union of Monarch and nation at the Coronation”. Royal Central, 4th April 2023.
Rhea Nicole
Rhea is a Digital Marketing Intern at the Harley Foundation.
She is passionate about art and objects. While studying for her BA in English, Rhea wrote an essay on the stories and histories of gloves. She now explores the pieces at the Harley Museum, unveiling the hidden tales in the collection.
