The acclaimed series The Crown in season 6 revives the fleeting love story between Lady Di, Princess Diana, and Dodi Al Fayed.
A controversial relationship that culminated in an engagement ring part of the iconic Dis-moi oui (“Say yes”) collection by Italian firm Repossi,
This stunning design in white gold and diamonds was barely worn by Diana before the fatal accident that took her life in 1997.
Dis-moi oui ring: the one Dodi gave to Diana
In the weeks before the fatal outcome of August 31, 1997, the relationship between the two was evolving by leaps and bounds, to the point that Dodi would have proposed marriage to Lady Di with a jewel that became a silent witness of the love between the princess and the movie mogul.
The engagement ring that Dodi gave Diana came from Repossi, a prestigious Italian high jewelry house founded in 1957 in Turin by Constantino Repossi.
Its designs, passed down from generation to generation, stand out for combining traditional craftsmanship with avant-garde use of diamonds and precious stones.
According to the story revealed by The Crown, Dodi, and Diana left the luxury yacht where they were spending a few days off and docked in Monte Carlo for an ice cream.
After a while, tourists are surprised to see the famous couple, word spreads, and the paparazzi rush to capture the image of the two.
Protected by their security team, Dodi and Diana end up sheltered in a jewelry store.
In a moment of maximum stress, the film producer asks her to choose what she wants. Diana points to the ring that days later, Dodi would give her to propose to her.
Like all fictionalized dramatizations, the reality was different. In this case, the purchase of the ring was not as it is portrayed in The Crown.
As revealed in 2020 by jeweler Alberto Repossi, Dodi Al Fayed contacted him to commission a unique engagement ring for Lady Di.
It was a white gold and diamond piece from Repossi’s “Dis-moi oui” (“Say yes”) collection, valued at more than $200,000.
Dodi asked for the ring to be ready by August 30 with some modifications to fit Diana’s finger.
He explained that the following day there would be an important announcement. Everything points to the fact that Dodi planned to propose to the princess on August 31, the same day they lost their lives.
The Repossi house worked against the clock during the last days of August to have the jewel finished in time.
Finally, Dodi picked it up at the Repossi jewelry store in Paris on August 30, the day before the accident. That ring would be the last gift Dodi was able to give Diana.
After the fatal accident, the ring appeared in the wreckage of the wrecked Mercedes on the Alma Bridge, becoming a silent witness of the love between Dodi and Diana that could never go further.
A piece that perhaps enclosed the promise of a future together and that destiny was in charge of truncating forever.