This brings us to the second mystery. Though royal families are well-known for ensuring their most famous jewels are passed on after they die, the ring left the public eye when the queen died in January, 1901. Queen Victoria, ever the romantic, asked to be buried with her favorite jewels, along with mementos she was most fond of and clothing that had belonged to her husband, who died in 1861 at the age of 42. It is assumed that Victoria took her ring with her when interred at ring is with her at the Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore, deep inside Home Park on the grounds of Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England. The images seen online of the ring are speculative reconstructions, depicting a ring that might or might not be.
While there is no trace of the queen’s ring in the royal treasure chests—which instead hold a vast assortment of tiaras, necklaces, and legendary gemstones that once belonged to the British monarchy—Victoria’s passion for reptile-shaped jewelry is confirmed by the fact that the Royal Collection Trust—one of the world’s most important art collections—possesses another ring that belonged to Victoria, which is not only shaped like a snake but also contains a lock of her hair.
This is a mourning jewel, very much in vogue at the time since, following Albert’s death, the queen—devastated by grief—dressed in black until her own passing. From dark dresses adorned with lace and veils to precious, romantic, and sentimental pieces, everything the queen chose to wear immediately drew attention. And jewelry shaped like an ouroboros—the serpent biting its own tail, a symbol of eternal love, devotion, and fidelity—was no exception.
As historian and researcher Amy Boyington explains, in fact, many noblewomen in portraits from that period are shown wearing bracelets and other jewelry depicting the serpent, confirming that this was a genuine fashion trend and not merely a personal quirk of the monarch. Even Victoria’s daughter-in-law, Alexandra of Denmark—who later reigned alongside Edward VIII in 1901—was often portrayed wearing serpent-shaped bracelets, likely influenced by the trend set by her mother-in-law, a true influencer ahead of her time.
