Prince Harry once made a touching sacrifice for his sister-in-law, Princess Kate – something that meant Meghan Markle lost out.
When Prince William proposed to his then-girlfriend Catherine Middleton in 2010, he presented her with an engagement ring that once belonged to his late mother.
Princess Kate was given Princess Diana’s sapphire and diamond band, one of the most famous jewellery pieces in the world.
The famous ring wasn’t always going to be given to Kate, instead it ended up being given to her after a touching sacrifice that was made by her brother-in-law, Harry.
Following the death of the late Princess Diana in 1997, both William and Harry were given the opportunity to choose a “keepsake” from her belongings at Kensington Palace, according to a close royal source.
The source said that William chose his mother’s Cartier watch, while Harry “picked her sapphire and diamond engagement ring”.
Harry was just 12 when his mother died, while William was slightly older at 15.
William was the first out of the two brothers to get engaged, with Harry opting to hand him the ring so he could use it to propose to Kate.
The source added that a deal was made by the brothers in terms of who would obtain the ring later in life.
The source added: “[William and Harry] had an agreement that whoever got engaged first would have Diana’s ring – and of course that was William and Kate.”
William and Kate got engaged in Africa in 2010, with Harry getting engaged to Meghan Markle seven years later.
Princess Kate proudly showed off the ring in the couple’s official engagement pictures.
Harry asked Meghan to marry him in 2017, with the pair walking down the aisle the following year.
Despite not giving Meghan his late mother’s ring, Harry did include two smaller stones from her jewellery collection in the design.
Meghan was presented with a three-stone diamond ring, the other larger diamond was sourced from Botswana.
Speaking of Meghan’s ring, Samantha Owen, Clogau Product Manager, said: “Meghan’s engagement ring was designed by Prince Harry and crafted by court jewellers Cleave. It features a large central diamond from Botswana, where the couple enjoyed a romantic holiday to mark the Duchess’s 36th birthday, flanked by two smaller diamonds once belonging to Princess Diana.”
