The Duchess of Sussex made her first public appearance after the birth of her son at Trooping the Colour, the queen's annual birthday celebration. As can be expected, the Duchess's outfit was closely examined, and fans noticed that Meghan Markle updated her engagement ring with a few extra sparkly additions.
Prince Harry designed Markle's original three-stone engagement ring, which has one big center diamond and two stones flanking its sides. Each stone has a sentimental significance to the couple. The center diamond is from Botswana, which is not only Prince Harry's favorite place in the world, but also was a major part of their courtship. They went to Botswana soon after they began dating in July 2016, and not only was it the couple's first trip together, but it was also their third date. "We camped out under the stars where we were really by ourselves — it was crucial to me to make sure we had the chance to get to know each other," said Prince Harry in an interview with BBC News. The pair then returned back to Botswana a few months before their engagement, where they experienced a romantic getaway to celebrate Markle's 36 birthday.
The other two diamonds in the original engagement ring design are sourced from Princess Diana's personal collection, making it a ring full of meaning for the couple. During the pair's first interview with BBC News after their engagement, Prince Harry said he chose the stones from his late mother's collection because he wanted "to make sure she's with us on this crazy journey together."
It doesn't appear that Markle changed any of the three main stones, but she did swap out the traditional gold band that the setting was placed on. The updated ring has been reset on a thin pavé band, adding a whole lot more sparkle to her left finger.
Prince Harry told BBC News that he originally choose the gold band because that was Markle's favorite. It's unclear when these changes have been made, but according to Town & Country, Markle was already wearing the updated ring when the family publicly revealed Baby Archie for the first time in St George's Hall at Windsor Castle.
Fans first overlooked this change to the Duchess's engagement ring because a different band caught their attention during her appearance at Trooping the Colour. As Markle rode next to Prince Harry in a carriage during the queen's parade, people noticed an extra ring sandwiched between her wedding band and engagement ring as she waved.
According to People, the new delicate pave-set band was an anniversary band from Prince Harry. In May the couple not only celebrated their first wedding anniversary but also the birth of their first child, so Prince Harry gifted Markle an eternity band.
Prince William also gave Kate Middleton an eternity band after the birth of their firstborn, Prince George. So it seems like the delicate gift is a bit of a tradition in the royal family.
While there is no news as to why Markle updated her engagement ring to feature the thin band of diamonds, Town & Country speculates it might have been to make the three stacked rings look more cohesive. Whatever the reason, the sparkly change is a knockout.
