A ring with deep royal connections, discovered in a Leicester charity shop and purchased for the modest sum of £15, is now making headlines as it heads to auction with an estimated value between £3,000 and £5,000. Experts believe this offering reflects one of the most significant and poignant discoveries to emerge from the high street in recent years.
The ring in question is a rare mourning piece from the early 19th century, originally commissioned by George IV, then serving as Prince Regent. It was intended to commemorate the passing of his younger sister, Princess Amelia, an event that had far-reaching effects across the royal household. Princess Amelia’s untimely death in 1810, attributed to tuberculosis, was said to have deeply stricken their father, King George III, accelerating his decline and prompting a sequence of historical events that would capture the fascination of writers and historians for generations.
Charles Hanson, a seasoned auctioneer, was approached by a member of the public who had no inkling of the artefact’s royal provenance when she presented the ring. “I was absolutely dazzled,” Mr Hanson remarked, still buoyed by the gravity of the find. “When you open a box and discover not just a valuable object but a link to such a personal chapter of royal history, it’s genuinely moving.”
According to Hanson, the ring is far more than a valuable object; it’s a window into the emotional landscape of the royal family during a turbulent period. “What truly strikes you isn’t just the prospect of its worth on the market, but the emotions and humanity bound up in the piece,” he observed, highlighting how these unique finds provide a tangible connection to the sentiments and stories of long ago.
The mourning ring is believed to have been one of just 52 created by renowned royal goldsmiths Rundell, Bridge & Rundell. Such items would have typically been distributed among close family and friends following the funeral of a royal, serving as intimate symbols of grief and remembrance.
Perhaps the most touching feature of the ring lies in the personal message it bears. On her deathbed, Princess Amelia reportedly gave her father a similar ring containing a lock of her hair, imploring him to “remember me”. Those words, now inscribed beneath a finely rendered crown on the ring, serve as a powerful reminder of both familial bonds and royal traditions of mourning.
Furthermore, Mr Hanson pointed out the symbolic elements that reveal details about Amelia’s life. The use of white enamel, rather than the more common black, signals that Amelia died unmarried. “White enamel stood for purity and innocence,” explained the auctioneer. “It was especially used in mourning jewellery for young or unmarried individuals, whereas black enamel indicated general sorrow.”
The unexpected emergence of this ring underscores the enduring possibility of discovering objects of immense historical significance in the most unassuming locations. Charity shops, high street sales, and car boot fairs can, from time to time, yield treasures whose value and interest extend far beyond what their original vendors could have imagined.
As anticipation builds ahead of the auction, this discovery has captivated those with an interest in both royal history and the serendipitous nature of high street shopping. For the fortunate finder, it is a story that demonstrates, perhaps more vividly than most, just how easily the past can slip quietly into our present—only to emerge decades, even centuries later, in the most unlikely of circumstances.
The auction will not only offer collectors a chance to acquire a rare and evocative piece but will also help to shed light on the personal histories of those entwined within Britain’s royal family. Whether it ultimately finds a new home in a private collection or a public institution, the ring stands as a testament to the hidden stories that still rest, quietly waiting, amidst the bric-a-brac of everyday life.