Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s, May 19th nuptials were a major event for the royal family and the rest of the wedding world. The ceremony took place in Windsor, just outside of London. The true star of the day? Meghan Markle’s engagement ring.
Prince Harry’s Romantic Proposal
The proposal is almost as important as the beautiful engagement ring! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dated for 16 months. first seen together at the 2016 Invictus Games, an event for disabled veterans and servicemen that Harry founded in 2014.
Harry popped the big question to Meghan Markle in November 2017 at their home in London. Harry and Meghan were reportedly enjoying some quality time after dinner when Harry spontaneously decided to propose.
Clarence House PR officially confirmed the engagement on November 27, 2017. The happy couple made their media premiere as an engaged couple that day in the Sunken Gardens at Kensington Palace.
The Palace shared the official engagement portraits on December 21, 2017. New York-based photographer Alexi Lumborski took the portraits at Frogmore House in Windsor. Harry and Meghan eventually hosted their wedding reception at Frogmore House!
All About the Royal Ring
Meghan Markle’s engagement ring is a dazzling three-stone engagement ring
with a yellow gold band. The center cushion-cut diamond is an estimated 3 to 5 carats with two sparkling 3/4 carat round diamonds on either side.
Three-Stone Engagement Ring Symbolism
Three-stone engagement rings, also known as trilogy or trinity rings, came into the spotlight in the early 2000s. Each of the three stones represents one aspect of the couple’s relationship timeline.
Past is the leftmost stone. This diamond commemorates how the couple came together and the growth they’ve experienced together.
Present is the center stone, which is typically the largest. This stone represents the couple’s current relationship and the choice to be together every day.
Future is the rightmost stone, which typically is symmetrical to the leftmost stone. This diamond celebrates all that is to come and the possibilities that lie ahead.
The Center Stone: A Touching Connection to Botswana
The central diamond on Meghan Markle’s engagement ring is from Botswana, a southern African country with a heartwarming connection to Harry and Meghan’s relationship.
The couple had reportedly traveled to Botswana twice before their engagement: once at the beginning of their relationship, and once just before their engagement. Harry hand-selected the central diamond for his future wife’s engagement ring while he was in the country.
A Tribute to Princess Diana
The two 3/4 carat round-cut diamonds on Meghan Markle’s engagement ring are a tribute to Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana. Harry selected the diamonds from Princess Diana’s personal collection, which makes them hard to value. Some experts ballpark the ring’s value at up to $350,000, however.
After Princess Diana’s tragic death in 1997, her sons Prince William and Prince Harry selected mementos from their mother’s jewelry collection. Harry originally picked his mother’s sapphire engagement ring while William selected a gold Cartier Tank Francaise watch.
Prior to Prince William’s 2010 engagement to Kate Middleton, the two switched possessions so William could propose with his mother’s engagement ring. Princess Diana’s and Duchess Catherine’s ring consists of 14 solitaire diamonds surrounding a 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire as the main stone. The entire ring is set in 18-carat white gold.
Harry has said that including his mother’s diamond side stones in the ring was important to him:
“The ring is obviously yellow gold because that’s Meghan’s favourite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the little diamonds either side are from my mother’s jewellery collection, to make sure that she’s with us on this crazy journey together.”
A Traditional Gold Setting
Prince Harry chose a yellow gold band for his fiancée since Meghan Markle favors it. The setting also matches her yellow gold wedding band, which she received during her May 19th, 2018 wedding ceremony in Windsor.
Meghan’s wedding band continues a royal tradition that dates back to 1923. Every modern royal since (except one) has used the same nugget of Welsh gold for their yellow gold wedding band. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the late Queen Mother, was the first to wear a Welsh gold wedding band.
The exception to the rule? Princess Beatrice, one of the Queen’s granddaughters. Beatrice broke from the tradition of yellow gold rings during her July 2020 wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Instead, Beatrice wears a stunning platinum band encrusted with little diamonds.
The Royal Redesign
In 2019, the Duchess of Sussex debuted an upgraded version of her original engagement ring. Instead of a gold band, the Duchess of Sussex’s ring featured a pavé diamond band. Royal fans speculated who made the decision to reset Meghan’s engagement ring. Some suspected that she added the diamond band when she had the ring resized because of her pregnancy.
The redesign was actually Prince Harry’s idea. To celebrate their first wedding anniversary and the birth of their first child, Harry gifted Meghan Markle a diamond eternity ring. Harry then contracted celebrity jeweler Lorraine Schwartz to add a diamond eternity band to Meghan’s engagement ring.
The new diamond eternity band has a charming secret detail. Hidden among the diamonds is a birthstone for each member of their family at the time: peridot for Meghan, sapphire for Harry, and emerald for Archie, their son.
Get the Meghan Markle Engagement Ring Look
If you want the Meghan Markle engagement ring look, there are several ways to achieve it! These lab-grown lookalikes have all the beauty and simplicity of Meghan Markle’s engagement ring at a fraction of the price. With these rings, you don’t have to sacrifice quality for cost.
Classic Three Stone Ring
This stunning ring is a classic for a reason. Capture the simplicity and timelessness of Meghan Markle’s ring with the Classic Three Stone Ring, which features a cushion-cut center diamond flanked by two round brilliant smaller diamonds.
Denmark Three Stone Ring
If you love the classic look of Meghan Markle’s original ring but want a touch more sparkle, this ring is for you. Elevate the classic trinity ring with channel-set diamonds and a tapered band for that extra touch of elegance.
Vineyard Three Stone Ring
This ring is all about the details. With the hidden diamond on the raised setting scalloped interior detail, and stunning pavé diamond band, this stunner is truly fit for a princess (or a duchess!)
Enjoying the inspiration but feeling like you want something a little different? Be sure to take a look at our princess cut engagement rings, emerald cut engagement rings, or even two stone engagement rings. You might just find something you didn’t know you’d love.
