Meghan Markle's engagement ring revealed key detail about her role in the Royal Family

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced their engagement on 27 November 2017, after months of speculation. The pair married six months later at a ceremony which took place at Windsor Castle on 19 May 2018. Since then, the couple have had their first child together, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, two months. After a whirlwind romance, Harry first proposed to Meghan with a ring which he designed himself and the piece of jewellery may have revealed her modern take as a royal, according to an expert.

Meghan’s engagement ring was very unique as it was a custom design by Prince Harry, compared to more tradition pieces worn by other members of the Royal Family, Eddie LeVian, CEO of jeweller Le Vian, explained.

He told Express.co.uk: “Meghan’s ring is arguably the most famous contemporary engagement ring in the world today.

“Prince Harry chose a trilogy engagement ring for Meghan, with a centre stone from Botswana and two diamonds on either side which came from his late mother Princess Diana’s jewellery collection.

“In this way he created a new jewel with a beautiful sense of history. The trilogy ring, otherwise known as a three stone ring, is designed to be classic, timeless and symbolic of the past, present and future within an engagement ring.

“By incorporating something from his mother, Harry not only captured part of his past to celebrate his present but also to pass part of his history to the future.”

The Duchess of Sussex has been a modern royal and has spoken out about issues close to her heart and her engagement ring made a link to these important causes.

“Harry’s choice of a diamond from Botswana delighted many. Botswana is the diamond industry’s biggest success story,” Eddie explained.

“Diamonds were discovered in Botswana in 1967 and today they remain the most important source of the country’s revenue.

“Diamonds have been instrumental in lifting the country out of poverty, enabling the government to invest in schools, roads, hospitals and fighting the transmission of HIV.”

Meghan has become an influential member of the Royal Family as she has pushed for change and her ring revealed this as it has become an aspirational piece in it’s own right.

Eddie told Express.co.uk: “As one of the most celebrated members of royalty today, with a Cinderella-like story, Meghan Markle’s engagement ring has become an inspiration for the engagement ring designs of many women getting engaged today.”

The Duchess also used the ring to show her modern attitude by updating it just a year after her wedding.

“Meghan recently enhanced her engagement ring by lining the formerly solid yellow gold band with pavé diamonds,” Eddie said.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, is another royal who used her jewellery to reveal her role in the family. 

The Countess showed her commitment to the Royal Family by wearing an important tiara and jewellery set gifted from Prince Edward to her wedding.

At her wedding, Meghan wore the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau tiara, which showed she would do things her own way as a role, an expert revealed. 

Meghan Markle wedding

Who: His Royal Highness Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex)

Where: St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle

When: 19 May 2018

Dress: Meghan wore a dress designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. The white dress was made of silk and had a boat neckline. The veil was an incredible 16 feet long.

Tiara: The Duchess of Sussex chose the Queen Mary diamond bandeau tiara, made in 1932, with a flower brooch in the middle from 1893.

Cake: The cake was a made by Claire Ptak, based in London. It was lemon and elderflower cake, decorated with peonies and buttercream icing.

Notable guests: A-list guests included James Corden, tennis player Serena Williams, the Beckhams, Sir Elton John, George and Amal Clooney and Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford.

Who is Meghan Markle? Quick profile

Meghan Markle was born Rachel Meghan Markle, on August 4, 1981 to parents Doria Ragland and father Thomas Markle.

Her father was previously married to Roslyn Loveless and Meghan has two elder half sibling – sister Samantha Markle and brother Thomas Markle Junior.

Actress

Meghan’s first television appearance in the USA was in an episode of the medical drama General Hospital in 2002.

She later moved on to roles in CSI, Without a Trace and Castle along with bit parts in Hollywood films including Get Him to the Greek, Remember Me and Horrible Bosses.

Meghan was also a “briefcase girl” on Deal or No Deal – but her most famous role was as Rachel Zane in legal drama Suits, which launched in 2011.

She was written out in the finale of the seventh series when her character got married, which aired in April 2018 – just before she got married herself.

Charity and humanitarian work

Meghan Markle’s career in television has gone hand-in-hand with her support for causes close to her heart.

She wrote about the stigma around menstrual health in an article for Time magazine and was a Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada – with whom she travelled to Rwanda for the charity’s Clean Water Campaign.

And her commitment to gender equality has seen her work with the United Nations – receiving a standing ovation in 2015 for her speech to mark International Women’s Day.

Relationships

In September 2011, she wed film producer Trevor Engelson, who she began dating in 2004.

But the pair divorced two years later in August 2013, citing irreconcilable difference.

She was in a relationship with celebrity chef Cory Vitiello for almost two years, before they broke it off in 2016 but the two remain good friends.

And in June 2016, she met Prince Harry on a blind date set up by a mutual friend.

Their relationship began in October that year and just over one year later, on November 27, 2017, the pair announced their engagement.

They married on May 19, 2018 at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.

Meghan’s heritage

Some have claimed Meghan Markle is the first mixed-race member of the Royal Family.

Historians are still arguing about Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III.

But Meghan will be the first royal to openly embrace a mixed-race heritage.

She has written about the difficulties of being a biracial actress in Hollywood as she claims she is not black enough for some roles and not white enough for others.