See Wallis Simpson's History-Making Engagement Ring

Wallis Simpson’s engagement ring featured a center stone sourced from Baghdad

NEED TO KNOW

• King Edward abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American socialite
• Edward proposed with a 19.77-carat emerald Cartier ring inscribed with their engagement date, Oct. 27, 1936
• Simpson’s jewelry collection, including the ring, sold for over $50 million at a record-breaking 1987 Sotheby’s auction

King Edward shocked the world when he abdicated the British throne to marry American socialite and two-time divorcée Wallis Simpson.

He began a love affair with Simpson when she was still the wife of U.S. businessman Ernest Simpson in the early 1930s, per the BBC. Ernest granted her a provisional decree of divorce in October 1936, the same month Edward proposed with an unconventional engagement ring.

Edward shared the news of his engagement and plan to abdicate during a BBC radio broadcast in December 1936. “I have found it impossible to carry on the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge the duties of King, as I would wish to do, without the help and support of the woman I love,” he said at the time.

His brother, George, later became King, while he and Wallis were exiled to France and given the titles of Duke and Duchess of Windsor, respectively. They were married for 35 years until his death on May 28, 1972.

Years later, the ring — along with the rest of Simpson's jewelry collection — was auctioned off for a staggering price.

Here's everything to know about Wallis Simpson's engagement ring.

King Edward and Wallis Simpson got engaged in October 1936 in secret

The couple got engaged in secret six weeks before Edward officially abdicated. According to the BBC, the British public did not learn about their relationship until a week before his Dec. 11, 1936, BBC radio broadcast, in which he announced both the romance and his decision to abdicate the throne.

While their romance had already been reported in the U.S. and parts of Europe, there was an “effective blackout” on the story in the U.K., which was coordinated by the government, the press and the BBC.

The ring features a 19-carat emerald

Edward proposed to Simpson with a Cartier ring centered on a 19.77-carat emerald surrounded by diamonds in a gold setting. The ring was inscribed with the words, “We are ours now 27 x 36,” referencing their Oct. 27, 1936, engagement.

Simpson was the first royal bride in modern history to wear an engagement ring with a colorful gemstone, per Brides.

The emerald is from Baghdad

Jacques Cartier sourced Simpson's eventual gem in Baghdad earlier in the decade, per Royal Central. The emerald was originally the size of a bird's egg, but was later cut in two.

Jacques sold one-half to an American millionaire and the other to Edward, who used it as the centerpiece for Simpson's engagement ring.

They married in June 1937

The British establishment did not support Edward's relationship with the twice-divorced American socialite, per the BBC. The Church of England, the government and Edward's advisors all opposed the marriage and his decision to abdicate.

However, the couple persisted with their relationship and married on June 3, 1937, at Chateau de Cande near Tours, France, per TIME. Simpson wore a floor-length silk gown designed by Mainbocher. Fewer than 20 guests attended the ceremony — and none were immediate royal family members.

Simpson later redesigned the ring

In 1958, the Duchess of Windsor had Cartier redesign the ring in a more modern style, adding a yellow gold setting and several additional diamonds, per Royal Central.

The ring was later sold at auction for nearly $2 million

On April 3, 1987, the ring sold for $1.98 million at a Sotheby's auction in Geneva. The buyer was not publicly disclosed.

Simpson's entire jewelry collection brought in more than $50 million, six times the pre-sale estimate and a world record for a single-owner jewelry collection. The sale included more than 200 pieces that the Duke of Windsor had gifted Simpson throughout their relationship.

All proceeds went to the Pasteur Institute in Paris, a foundation specializing in AIDS and cancer research.

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