After almost a year of dating and a courtship that has seen Prince Harry and his girlfriend Meghan Markle travel across the world, attending the likes of Pippa Middleton's wedding in Berkshire, England, the prince's best friend's nuptials in Jamaica, as well as rumours the 35-year-old actress is set to leave her Toronto home to move in with her royal beau into Kensington Palace later this summer, it comes as no surprise that the public is waiting in anticipation for the news the prince has finally proposed to his leading-lady.
And, with the knowledge that if Meghan was to wed Harry, she would be referred to as 'Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Wales' and acquire another title depending on her husband's new nobility on marriage, our attention has now turned to the engagement ring Harry would choose when he pops the question to the 35-year-old Suits star.
Despite the royal family's wealth, the most likely option for the prince is that he will turn to his mother, Princess Diana's jewellery collection, as was acquired by both Prince William and Prince Harry following her untimely death in 1997.
After the Princess' death, the boys both chose keepsakes from Kensington Palace. Prince William picked his mother's Cartier watch, while Harry chose her sapphire and diamond engagement ring.
However, the brothers are said to have made the agreement that whoever married first would have Diana's ring – later presented to Kate Middleton on her engagement.
In Princess Diana's will, she reportedly wrote: ' I would like you to allocate all my jewellery to the share to be held by my sons, so that their wives may, in due course, have it or use it.'
As a result, Harry now has the fortune of choosing whether to follow in William's footsteps and choose a sentimental piece of jewellery from Diana's collection, or design his own ring for Meghan.
Given that sapphire was a favourite stone for Diana, with a collection that featured the diamond in earrings, necklaces, bracelets and watches, Harry might opt for a blue engagement ring.
In fact, he might repurpose one of two engagement rings presented to the Queen mother by King George VI, who wore a large sapphire set in Welsh gold, which she later replaced with a pearl surrounded by diamonds in the 1950s, according to the Daily Express.
However, the Prince might also choose an emerald stone, given its pertinence to his later mother.
The queen gave Diana an emerald necklace as a wedding present – which the Princess famously wore as a headband at a ball in 1985 – and Prince Charles also gave his fiancé an emerald bracelet to celebrate their up-coming nuptials, therefore the green colour would be a touching tribute to his relatives.
Lorna Haddon, diamond ring and jewellery buyer at Beaverbrooks the Jewellers told the Express: 'I think the most likely option would be for him to take a central coloured gem such as an emerald or a coloured diamond from one of Diana's necklaces and surround it with a cluster of brilliant diamonds.'
Meanwhile, Meghan might receive a ring from the Royal Vaults worn by Princess Margaret, who was presented a ring described as a ruby set like a rosebud and surrounded by diamonds by Antony Armstrong-Jones, the 1st Earl of Snowdon.
With an abundance of jewels to choose from, the 32-year-old royal might gift his soon-to-be bride a diamond from on of his mother's many tiaras and design his own diamond engagement ring for the star, similar to the square-cut diamond designed by Prince Philip on his engagement to the Queen.
'Something simple but striking like a Platinum Diamond Solitaire Ring would work perfectly and allow her to stack it neatly with her wedding ring,' added Haddon.
We can't wait to see what Harry will choose.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
