Prince Harry has paid a beautiful tribute to his mother Princess Diana in the engagement ring he has given to Meghan Markle.
According to reports, the prince designed the engagement ring which features a gold band set with a large diamond from Botswana and two smaller diamonds which have been taken from Diana’s ‘personal collection’.
The engagement ring was made by Cleave and Company, Court Jewellers and Medallists to Her Majesty The Queen.
The engagement was announced by Clarence House earlier today.
The official announcement read:
His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince Harry to Ms. Meghan Markle.
The wedding will take place in Spring 2018. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course.
His Royal Highness and Ms. Markle became engaged in London earlier this month. Prince Harry has also sought and received the blessing of Ms. Markle’s parents.
The couple will live in Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace.
Botswana is a country holding a ‘special significance’ for Prince Harry as he visited many times in his life – and it is also a place the couple have spent time together over since the start of their relationship.
This isn’t the first time Diana’s jewellery has been used, Prince William famously proposed to Kate Middleton with his mother’s sapphire and diamond ring from her engagement to Prince Charles
After the Diana’s tragic death in 1997 the boys were taken to choose a ‘keepsake’ from their mother’s belongings in Kensington Palace, according to reports from a source ‘close to the Royals’.
According to The Mirror, the source told The Daily Star:
William picked his mum’s Cartier watch, and Harry picked her sapphire and diamond engagement ring.
Harry was only 12-years-old when he chose to keep his mum’s engagement ring – however, as William was the first to get engaged Harry gave it up so his brother could ask Kate to marry him.
The source added:
They had an agreement that whoever got engaged first would have Diana’s ring – and of course that was William and Kate.
Questions are of course already being asked about a potential public holiday as well as which designer will be drafted in to make the wedding dress.
Among those questions is the conundrum of the title Meghan will take on after the couple tie the knot.
The ‘prince’ and ‘princess’ title is reserved for those who are born into the Royal Family, but by convention they may be referred to by their partner’s name.
For example, in an archaic tradition, Kate can be referred to as Princess William, so Meghan will be officially referred to as Princess Henry – Henry is Harry’s real name. Prince Harry is currently fifth in line to the throne, but will slide down the ladder to sixth after Will and Kate welcome their third child.
The rumour mill started working overtime once again after Ms Markle was spotted last week in west London hitting the designer shops of Chelsea, ABC News reported.
The 36-year-old actress was previously married to Trever Engelson whom she divorced in August 2013.
Meghan is best known for her role as Rachel Zane in legal drama Suits.
Good luck to them both!
