Two rings. Two very different love stories. One ring stayed almost entirely out of the public eye, its designer never named, its price never confirmed. The other carries diamonds that once belonged to a princess and a center stone sourced from the exact place where a royal romance began. Meghan Markle has worn both, and the gap between them tells you almost everything about how her life changed. Here is every detail of all four rings, alongside the story of how each one came to be.
Meghan Markle's Ring Timeline at a Glance
Markle got engaged to Trevor Engelson in 2010 and married him in September 2011. She got engaged to Prince Harry in November 2017 and married him in May 2018. Each relationship left behind an engagement ring and a wedding band, and all four pieces tell a very different design story.
| Feature | Engagement Ring | Wedding Ring | Engagement Ring | Wedding Ring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relationship Status | Engaged in 2010 | Married September 10, 2011 | Engaged November 27, 2017 | Married May 19, 2018 |
| Given By | Trevor Engelson | Trevor Engelson | Prince Harry | Prince Harry |
| Proposal / Wedding Location | Not publicly disclosed | Jamaica Inn, Ocho Rios, Jamaica | Nottingham Cottage, Kensington Palace, London | St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle |
| Ring Designer | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed | Prince Harry, custom-made with Cleave & Company | Cleave & Company |
| Ring Style | Cushion/Round cut solitaire on twin pavé bands | Simple diamond band | Three-stone "trilogy" design | Plain band (Meghan); textured band (Harry) |
| Diamond Shape | Round/Cushion-cut | Round diamonds (pavé) | Cushion cut (center) + round brilliants (sides) | No stones |
| Carat Weight | ~1.5–2 carats (jeweler estimate, not confirmed) | Not publicly disclosed | ~3 carats center (estimates range 2.5–5 carats depending on source) | Not applicable |
| Setting Style | Twin pavé-diamond bands | Simple band | Trilogy setting, yellow gold; pavé shoulder band added ~2019 | Plain band |
| Metal | Platinum | Platinum | 18k yellow gold | Welsh gold (Meghan); platinum (Harry) |
| Band Style | Pavé diamond double band | Simple diamond band | Diamond pavé shoulder band (added post-2019) | Welsh gold wedding band |
| Estimated Value | ~$13,000 (~$16,500) | Not publicly disclosed | Initial estimate ~$120,000 (~$150,000+); some experts value it up to $260,000 | Not publicly valued |
The First Engagement: Trevor Engelson Proposes
Meghan Markle met Trevor Engelson in 2004, years before her acting career took off. The two dated for six years before Engelson proposed during a trip to Belize in 2010. By the time they married the following year, Markle had already landed her role on the legal drama Suits, though the show had not yet aired.
The Trevor Engelson Engagement Ring
Markle's first engagement ring was never officially documented by either party, so most details come from jeweler estimates made after photos surfaced publicly. The ring featured a Cushion/Round cut solitaire center stone, though some estimates describe the cut as round or cushion shaped instead.
The center stone sat on twin pavé diamond bands, a setting style that lines the shank with small diamonds to add sparkle without pulling attention away from the main stone. The ring was set in platinum, a metal prized for its durability and resistance to tarnishing, which made it a common engagement ring choice throughout the early 2010s.
Jewelers have estimated the center stone at 1.5 to 2 carats, though this figure was never confirmed. The ring's designer was never publicly identified. Based on comparable rings from the same era, jewelers place its estimated value at around $13,000, or roughly $16,500.
The First Wedding: Jamaica, 2011
Markle and Engelson married on September 10, 2011, at Jamaica Inn in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. The wedding was a relaxed, beach resort ceremony rather than a formal event, a tone that fit the far more private life Markle was living before her acting career fully took off.
Meghan Markle's First Wedding Band
Her wedding band was a diamond band set with round pavé diamonds, worn alongside her round or cushion cut engagement ring. The setting used small stones placed closely together along a thin band, designed to complement the engagement ring rather than compete with it. No public record exists of the band's designer or cost.
The Divorce
Markle and Engelson separated in 2013 and divorced in 2014, citing irreconcilable differences. Markle is said to have returned her wedding ring by mail after the split. The marriage lasted just under three years, closing out this chapter of her life well before she was known outside her acting career.
The Second Engagement: Prince Harry Proposes
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry met in July 2016 on a blind date arranged through mutual friends. Weeks later, the two took a five-day camping trip together in Botswana, a trip that later became central to the design of her engagement ring. The couple kept their relationship private for about eighteen months before Harry proposed on November 27, 2017, at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace.
The Prince Harry Engagement Ring
Unlike Markle's first engagement ring, this one came with a fully documented design story. Harry designed the ring himself and worked with royal jeweler Cleave & Company to bring it to life.
Center Stone
The center diamond is cushion cut and sourced from Botswana, a direct nod to where the couple's relationship deepened during their camping trip. Cushion cuts combine a square or rectangular outline with rounded corners and larger facets, producing a softer, more romantic sparkle compared to a traditional round brilliant cut. Estimates for the center stone range from 2.5 to 5 carats, with most jewelers settling on approximately 3 carats.
Side Stones
Flanking the center stone are two round brilliant diamonds taken from Princess Diana's personal jewelry collection. Round brilliant cuts are engineered specifically to maximize light return, which makes these side stones appear noticeably brighter next to the softer cushion-cut center. Reusing stones from an existing piece of jewelry, sometimes called repurposing, gives a ring a layer of history that a newly cut diamond cannot match.
Setting and Metal
The ring uses a three-stone trilogy setting, one of the most recognizable engagement ring styles, where a larger center stone sits between two smaller accent stones of matching cut. The band is 18k yellow gold, a warmer tone than the platinum used in Markle's first ring and one that has become closely associated with her personal jewelry style ever since.
Estimated Value
Early appraisals placed the ring's total value around $120,000, or roughly $150,000. Because the center stone's Botswana origin and the side stones' connection to Princess Diana are both publicly documented, some later valuations have placed the ring as high as $260,000. Documented provenance like this tends to raise a ring's appraised value well beyond what carat weight and metal alone would suggest.
The 2019 Redesign
In 2019, a diamond pavé shoulder band was added alongside the original trilogy setting. A shoulder band sits directly next to the engagement ring rather than replacing any part of the original design, adding extra sparkle without altering the three-stone centerpiece.
The Second Wedding: Windsor Castle, 2018
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry married on May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The wedding drew a global television audience and included a horse-drawn carriage procession through Windsor, a scale of ceremony far beyond her first wedding in Jamaica. The two have remained married since, with Harry stepping back from royal duties in the years following the wedding and the couple building their life together outside the UK.
Meghan Markle's Royal Wedding Ring
For her wedding band, Markle chose a plain ring made from Welsh gold, a metal with deep royal tradition behind it. Welsh gold has been used in wedding bands across the family for generations, including for Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana, which makes it more of a symbolic material choice than a purely aesthetic one. The band carries no stones, keeping the visual focus on the trilogy engagement ring above it.
Prince Harry's Wedding Band
Prince Harry's wedding band is platinum with a textured finish, a deliberate contrast to Meghan's smooth gold band. Textured bands use a brushed, hammered, or matte surface instead of a polished one, which tends to hide small scratches better over years of daily wear.
How to Get a Similar Look
You can recreate Meghan Markle’s ring-inspired look by choosing the right stone, setting, and metal. A custom design also lets you adjust each detail to suit your preferences and budget.
- Choose a trilogy setting for a three-stone look.
- Pick a cushion-cut center stone for a softer shape.
- Consider yellow gold for a warm finish.
- Add pavé bands for extra detail.
- Choose platinum for a look inspired by Markle’s first ring.
- Customize the stone, setting, and metal to create your own version.
