Everything you need to know about Meghan Markle's engagement ring

We've got all the info...

a close up of meghan markle brushing hair out of her face with her left hand, meghan markle engagement ring
(Image credit: 2018 Max Mumby/Indigo)

We've got all the info...

Type 'Meghan Markle engagement ring' into Google, and you'll notice by the millions of hits that it's quite possibly one of the most iconic and popular rings ever. Here's everything we know about it, from the carats to the cute story behind it and its link to Princess Diana.

What ring did Harry give Meghan?

The Duke of Sussex designed Meghan Markle's engagement ring himself (with court jeweller Cleave & Co), using a central diamond from Botswana – a country that the newlyweds have visited together, and where he allegedly popped the question, according to biography Finding Freedom, by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand.

meghan markle engagement ring

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The two diamonds on either side are from his late mother Princess Diana’s collection, and the ring was originally set on a gold band.

Harry told the BBC at the time, ‘The ring is obviously yellow gold because that’s Meghan’s favourite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the little diamonds either side are from my mother’s jewellery collection, to make sure that she’s with us on this crazy journey together.’

Rumour has it that Prince Harry was originally bequeathed Princess Diana's sapphire ring, which later became Kate Middleton's engagement ring. Harry is said to have given it to his brother when he was ready to propose.

Why did Meghan Markle change her engagement ring?

It first became apparent that the Duchess of Sussex changed her engagement ring when she attended the Queen's Trooping the Colour in the summer of 2019, taking a break from her maternity leave.

a close up of meghan markle engagement ring as well as her gold wedding ring and her diamond eternity band

(Image credit: 2019 Max Mumby/Indigo)

Though the three central diamonds remained unchanged, the plain gold band was upgraded to a gorgeous diamond eternity band. No statement was made at the time, but it's said that she changed it to match an eternity band Prince Harry gifted her upon the birth of their son Archie.

That band was designed by Harry himself, with help from Lorraine Schwartz, and featured a sweet nod to the growing family in the form of Meghan, Archie and Harry's birthstones (peridot, emerald, and sapphire, respectively).

How many carats is Meghan Markle's engagement ring?

We spoke to Zack Stone, the Managing Director at Steven Stone Jewellers, who estimated the centre stone to be three to four carats and of extremely high quality, with incredible colour and clarity, flawless to the naked eye.

 The two round diamonds supporting the centre stone from Princess Diana’s jewellery collection are around 0.5 to 0.75 carats each.

 However, the addition of the diamond eternity band will have definitely added to the number of carats in total.

Meghan Markle's wedding ring

It's tradition in the royal family for wedding rings to be made out of the same nugget of Welsh gold, and Meghan's was no exception.

The palace said in a statement, 'Ms. Markle's ring has been fashioned from a piece of Welsh Gold, gifted by Her Majesty The Queen. Prince Harry's ring will be a Platinum Band with a textured finish. Both rings were crafted in the Cleave workshop.'

It sits beautifully with Meghan Markle's engagement ring.

Meghan Markle ring replica

If you fancy buying a ring that's similar to the Duchess of Sussex's, there are plenty of budget friendly as well as more expensive replicas on the market. Here are some of our favourites.

American Princess Royal Wedding Two Tone Trilogy Replica Engagement Ring, £31.39 | Etsy

American Princess Royal Wedding Two Tone Trilogy Replica Engagement Ring, <a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=6091&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.etsy.com%2Fuk%2Flisting%2F714449647%2Famerican-princess-royal-wedding-two-tone" data-link-merchant="etsy.com"">£31.39 | Etsy
Get inspired by Meghan Markle's royal wedding with this two tone trilogy wedding ring. Brilliant round cut side stones accompany a prominent cushion cut centre stone.

18ct Yellow Gold 0.75ct Brilliant Cut Diamond Three Stone Ring, was £3,000 now £1,800 | Goldsmiths

18ct Yellow Gold 0.75ct Brilliant Cut Diamond Three Stone Ring, <a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=2174&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goldsmiths.co.uk%2FGoldsmiths-18ct-Yellow-Gold-0.75ct-Brilliant-Cut-Diamond-Three-Stone-Ring-null%2Fp%2F06030998" data-link-merchant="goldsmiths.co.uk"">was £3,000 now £1,800 | Goldsmiths
This ring is a luxurious piece for the perfect proposal. With one shining brilliant cut diamond sparkling on your finger you just won't need any other ornament.

9ct Yellow Gold Three Stone 0.5ct Total Diamond Halo Ring, was £1199 now £599 | Ernest Jones

9ct Yellow Gold Three Stone 0.5ct Total Diamond Halo Ring, <a href="https://track.webgains.com/click.html?wgcampaignid=162949&wgprogramid=287575&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&wgtarget=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ernestjones.co.uk%2Fwebstore%2Fd%2F4603133%2F9ct%2BYellow%2BGold%2BThree%2BStone%2B0.50ct%2BTotal%2BDiamond%2BHalo%2BRing%2F" data-link-merchant="ernestjones.co.uk"">was £1199 now £599 | Ernest Jones
This ring is designed in a luxurious cluster style, with three diamond accent stones surrounded with a halo of diamonds for a uniquely symbolic statement of love.

Maple Leaf Diamonds 18ct White Gold Three Stone Ring, was £8,500 now £6,495 | Beaverbrooks

Maple Leaf Diamonds 18ct White Gold Three Stone Ring, <a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=5856&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beaverbrooks.co.uk%2F0116049%2FMaple-Leaf-Diamonds-18ct-White-Gold-Three-Stone-Ring%2Fp" data-link-merchant="beaverbrooks.co.uk"">was £8,500 now £6,495 | Beaverbrooks
Take your loved one's breath away with this magnificent ring. Each stone is a romantic symbol of your past, present and future together.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.