Did Meghan Markle inherit Princess Diana’s jewelry?

 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the Royal Family thanks to money Harry inherited from Princess Diana, he revealed in their March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. “My family literally cut me off financially … I have what my mom left me, and without it, we couldn’t have done this,” he said (via The New York Times). Four years before Lady Di’s tragic death in Paris on August 31, 1997, she signed the latest version of her will. Unsurprisingly, she left most of her estate to her sons, Harry and Prince William, CNN reported in 1998.

Subtracting taxes, Diana’s sons inherited a total of $21.3 million, which was to be divided equally between the two, the will states. That brings the amount remaining for Harry to just over $10 million, according to Forbes. Harry thinks Diana felt he could hang on the inheritance down the line. “It’s like she saw it coming, and she’s been with us through this process,” he told Winfrey (via The Telegraph).

But money isn’t all Diana left to her heirs. In a separate document accompanying the will, Diana explained what she wanted to do with her belongings, according to Trust and Will. It turned out Diana wanted Harry and William to inherit her jewelry so they could gift it to their wives. Markle may not have had the chance to meet her mother-in-law, but they have a connection thanks to some of Diana’s jewelry.

 Princess Diana’s wish that her future daughters-in-law inherit her jewelry via her sons has come to fruition. Both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle own several pieces of Lady Di jewelry, which they have worn in public over the years. One of the most emotional pieces the Duchess of Sussex owns is her engagement ring, which is seen in the photo above.

The ring itself did not belong to Diana, as Prince Harry designed it himself, Brides reported. But Harry chose two smaller diamonds from his mother’s collection to feature on either side of the center stone, a three-carat diamond from Botswana, the destination of the couple’s first vacation together, according to People. Although it’s difficult to estimate the value of the coin, many value it at around $200,000, noted Harper’s Bazaar. Meghan also owns the aquamarine ring she sported at her wedding reception, which contrasted perfectly with the white Stella McCartney dress, according to Harper’s Bazaar.

Markle also inherited non-wedding pieces from Diana. Among them are her diamond tennis bracelet, a Cartier wristwatch, butterfly earrings that Markle wore during her first royal tour in 2018 and a cuff bracelet adorned with blue gemstones, British Vogue reported. In total, Markle owns around £125,000 (just over $150,000) of Diana’s collection, according to the Express. While that value is far from meager, it pales in comparison to the nearly $500,000 Middleton inherited. The Princess of Wales also owns a sentimental piece that may have belonged to Markle.

 After Princess Diana’s death, Prince Harry and Prince William inherited her jewelry collection to share as they saw fit, according to The Sun. The youngest brother chose his mother’s famous sapphire engagement ring. Yes, the one Kate Middleton has been rocking since their engagement in October 2010, when the prince proposed to Kenya, the BBC reported. How did the room that belonged to Harry end up at Middleton’s?

Well, Harry thought his mother’s ring should one day return to the British throne, according to Vogue. “Harry said to William, ‘Wouldn’t it be appropriate for her to have mum’s ring? ‘” Princess Paul Burrell’s former butler said in the Amazon Prime documentary “The Diana Story” (via The Sun). William agreed, so he offered to trade their mother’s beloved Cartier watch for the engagement ring, which explains how Markle ended up with the meaningful piece, Vogue noted.

It’s unclear how Markle feels about Middleton inheriting Diana’s ring, but we do know that she added her own touch to hers — something she probably wouldn’t have been able to do with Diana’s. When she was pregnant with Archie, Markle reportedly took the opportunity to need to resize her ring to redesign the band, swapping out the old thick yellow gold for a thinner, diamond-paved version, Vogue noted. “The heavier plain band is a more traditional style, while a more delicate cobblestone band reflects its modern, edgy aesthetic,” said Laura Lambert of Fenton & Co.