When Prince Harry proposed in 2017, he designed the engagement ring for the Duchess of Sussex himself. But fans have noted a number of changes to the band in recent years

Meghan Markle has sparked speculation she has redesigned elements of her engagement ring for the fourth time after the Duchess of Sussex’s band appeared to show slight alterations in trailers for her new Netflix series.

When Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle in 2017, he designed the ring to feature a cushion-cut diamond, estimated to be between 2.5 and 3 carats, that Harry sourced from Botswana, where the couple took their first holiday together – and where, Harry has since said, he decided he wanted to marry Meghan. The central stone is supported by two round diamonds from Princess Diana’s personal jewellery collection, with Meghan revealing that it was ‘important’ for her to know that Harry’s late mother was ‘a part of this with us’.

Prince Harry stands with Meghan Markle as she shows off her engagement ring in 2017

 DANIEL LEAL/Getty Images

The original engagement ring designed by the Duke

 DANIEL LEAL/Getty Images
At the time, Harry said, ‘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.’

Meghan called it an ‘incredible’ piece of jewellery, explaining: ‘Everything about Harry’s thoughtfulness and the inclusion of [Princess Diana’s stones] and obviously not being able to meet his mom, it’s so important to me to know that she’s a part of this with us.’

When Meghan attended Trooping the Colour in 2019, the band of the ring had been changed

 Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Image

‘It’s incredibly special to be able to have this [ring], which sort of links where you come from and Botswana, which is important to us. It’s perfect.’

The ring initially had a plain, gold band crafted by Cleave & Company, the late Queen Elizabeth’s regular jeweller – but in 2019, Meghan refreshed the design by replacing it with a thin, micro-pavé band instead. In 2022’s Finding Freedom, Omid Scobie claimed it was the Duke of Sussex who had made the first alterations to Meghan’s ring. In the biography, Lorraine Schwartz told the author, ‘He’s the loveliest person ever. So romantic, so thoughtful.’ Scobie added, ‘(So much so that Harry also thought to have Lorraine resize and reset Meghan’s engagement ring with a new diamond band.)’

However, there was further speculation that Meghan might have altered the ring for a second time in 2022 when she attended the Invictus Games in The Hague. Some believed she had added additional diamonds to the setting surrounding the central diamond.

The ring was absent from the Duchess’ finger for a number of appearances towards the end of last year, with reports noting that it had been taken in for servicing after the setting came loose. Now, some believe Meghan has changed the ring for a third time. In promotional videos and photographs for her new Netflix series, Meghan appears to have opted for a slightly different setting for the central jewel and additional diamonds.

Meghan attending the Invictus Games

 Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Speaking to The Telegraph, experts said they have seen the trend of changing engagement rings rising in recent years – with some even describing it as ‘main stream.’ ‘I have a few American clients who upgrade their engagement rings almost on a yearly basis – one couple started out with a diamond of around one carat in 2017, and now they are just shy of five carats,’ revealed Guy Burton, the managing director of Hancocks.

It’s yet to be seen exactly how the Duchess has changed the engagement ring; perhaps viewers of her new series, With Love, Meghan, will get a little more insight. The series was set to premiere on 15 January on Netflix but has now been pushed back to 5 March.