Has Meghan Markle made alterations to her engagement ring once again?

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’.

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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.

A close up of Meghan’s engagement ring, with additional diamonds in the setting

Eagle-eyed royal fans speculated about the change on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, with one person writing, ‘Is that the fourth evolution of the ring?’ Another added, ‘Is that a new engagement ring?’ Others suggested the ring’s central stone appeared to have more of a square cut shape, as opposed to Meghan’s original round-cut diamond.

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.