Gifts of Grandeur: Queen Victoria’s Mourning Ring

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Upon the death of her beloved husband, Prince Albert, Queen Victoria went into a period of mourning which lasted the rest of her life. As was the custom of the time, she commissioned a mourning ring to wear so that an image of her husband would always be with her. 

What makes this ring unusual is that the image is actually a micro-photograph of Albert, set behind crystal. Usually, the images were painted. The gold bezel is surrounded by black enamel on the shanks of the ring. The cypher linking the initials 'V' and 'A' is set in white enamel into the shanks on either side of the ring. Victoria wore this memorial ring throughout her many years of mourning.