Prince Harry, Meghan Markle’s engagement ring secrets revealed by former palace aide

Meghan Markle’s engagement ring was specifically designed by Prince Harry himself, a former staffer has revealed.

Grant Harrold, who used to work as a royal butler, told GB News that the Duke of Sussex paid meaningful tribute to his and Meghan’s relationship as well as his mother, Princess Diana’s legacy with the ring.

Though his elder brother had simply proposed with the ring which previously belonged to their mother, chosen by Princess Diana from a catalogue rather than a custom design, Harry had to get creative with his choice.

“Prince Harry designed the ring himself, and wanted to include a nod to the couple’s love story and also to his late mother,” the ex-palace aide said. “When William proposed to Kate, he said giving her Diana’s ring meant his mother was involved, and I imagine Harry would have wanted to do something similar by including her diamonds.”

He also honoured his then soon-to-be wife by having diamonds from Botswana fitted into her ring — the destination of the couple’s first holiday.

“I always knew Harry to be very caring and sentimental, so I wasn’t at all surprised when I heard he popped the question with such a thoughtful piece of bling,” added Harrold.

Though he went on to reveal that the Duchess of Sussex has had the ring slightly altered “over the years”, Harrold claimed that this move “isn’t unusual, and many royal women – including Princess Diana – have made tweaks to their ring.”

“Harry would have wanted Meghan to be 100 per cent happy with her ring, so I don’t think he would have been upset or offended at all when she asked to change it. It’s a stunning piece,” he further shared.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got engaged in 2017 and had their televised royal wedding the very next year, in May 2018.