Don’t Read Too Much into Meghan Markle Not Wearing Her Engagement Ring Lately

Lately, Meghan Markle has been spotted without her engagement ring—it’s hard to not notice its absence, as stunning as it is. It was absent in a recent photo of the Duchess of Sussex alongside two friends, Cleo Wade and Kadi Lee, celebrating a belated birthday lunch (presumably for Meghan, who turned 42 earlier this month), replaced with a gold band on her left ring finger. While Sussex detractors are quick to point to the ring’s absence as a sign that her marriage is in trouble, it’s simply not so: Page Six reports that Meghan’s diamond sparkler is simply “being fixed.”

Meghan’s ring features a center diamond originally from Botswana—a country integral to the early days of her courtship with Prince Harry—and two diamonds on either side of it from the collection of Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana. Harry presented Meghan with the custom-designed ring when he proposed in 2017, and it was created with the help of jewelers Cleave and Company. “The ring is yellow gold, because that’s [her] favorite, and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana, and the little diamonds [on] either side are from my mother’s jewelry collection to make sure that she’s with us on this—on this crazy journey together,” Harry told the BBC in the couple’s post-engagement interview. Meghan called the ring “incredible,” and added “everything about Harry’s thoughtfulness and the inclusion of [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.”

Since 2017, the ring has undergone slight transformations, like its original yellow gold band being swapped with a thinner pavé setting after the birth of the couple’s first child, Prince Archie, in 2019. In addition to the ring apparently “being fixed,” per Page Six, there could be other reasons as well, none of which include the by all accounts incorrect rumors of the Sussex marriage falling apart: “Meghan Markle has always had her own unique sense of style,” said Louella Anderson, cofounder of So Syncd, speaking to The Mirror. “It’s possible that her decision to change or remove the engagement ring reflects her evolving taste or desire for something different. She’s not over the top about her jewelry and usually chooses to keep her look quite simple and classic. Taking off the ring could be her way of expressing this personal preference for a less flashy look.”

Anderson continued “Meghan’s engagement ring was particularly large and may have been uncomfortable to wear on a day-to-day basis. It could be practicality that has caused her to take off the ring and opt for something more comfortable. A ring like this could get in the way of everyday activities such as grocery shopping, working out, or looking after kids. Given the size of the ring, there is a high chance she chose to take it off for this reason.”

One reason that is not the reason for the missing diamond? False rumors that Harry and Meghan’s marriage is in trouble. (A source close to Harry and Meghan speaking to Page Six said those rumors are “not true. It’s literally made up.”) After all, though her diamond might not be on her hand, she is still very much wearing a wedding band on that finger. “There is speculation that Meghan has removed her engagement ring as a symbol of her and Prince Harry’s relationship status potentially being rocky,” Anderson said. “However, it’s clear Meghan Markle still has a ring on her wedding finger. It’s just a much more understated and practical piece of jewelry and one that is likely more suited to her personal tastes.”

There you have it.