Meghan Markle Secretly Upgraded Her Engagement Ring — and It Almost Went Unnoticed!

Erin Hill

When Meghan Markle introduced her son Archie to the world on May 8, she also had something else new on hand to debut: an upgraded engagement ring!

But with all eyes on Archie, her new micro-pavé band went unnoticed. (The new ring was also on display during her Trooping the Colour appearance a month later on June 8.) The trio of diamonds appear to have been reset in a thin micro-pavé band. The original was a solid yellow gold band.

Prince Harry designed Meghan’s engagement ring himself. The stunning sparkler is made up of three diamonds, with one large stone in the center flanked by two smaller stones on the sides. It was crafted by British jewelers Cleave and Company, who are the jewelers to Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.

Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty
Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty
Meghan Markle's original engagement band (left) and the newer version on May 8 | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP/Getty
Meghan Markle's original engagement band (left) and the newer version on May 8 | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP/Getty
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

The ring has plenty of sentimental connections for Harry: The two stones are from his late mother Princess Diana‘s personal collection, while the other stone is from Botswana, a country that is close to his and Meghan’s hearts.

Following their engagement, Harry spoke about the ring during their joint interview: “It’s obviously yellow gold because that’s her favorite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the little diamonds either side are from my mother’s jewelry collection to make sure that she’s with us on this crazy journey together.”

Meghan added: “It’s beautiful, and he designed it, it’s incredible.”

The Duchess of Sussex has long been a fan of delicate, minimalist jewelry. The new band fits perfectly alongside her thinner Welsh gold wedding band (a royal tradition) and her new eternity band, which she received as a gift from Harry for their first wedding anniversary on May 19.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

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The anniversary gift was spotted by fans as she waved to the crowd on the ride to Buckingham Palace with Prince Harry, Kate Middleton and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at Trooping the Colour.