Princess Diana had a clear wish for her jewelry collection before her tragic death in a car accident in Paris in 1997. In a letter, she expressed her desire for her jewelry to be passed on to her two sons, William and Harry, with the hope that their wives would eventually wear and appreciate these pieces. Diana’s note read: “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. I leave the exact division of the jewellery to your discretion.”
Since then, Princess Diana’s jewelry has retained significant emotional value for her sons. Meghan Markle, Prince Harry’s wife, has been seen wearing several of Diana’s cherished pieces, with their total value estimated by diamond experts at Steven Stone to be around $508,900.
One notable piece is Diana’s gold cuff bangle, which Meghan first wore during the royal tour of Australia in 2018. This bangle, featuring two large cabochon sapphires estimated at 5 carats each, is valued at approximately £25,000 ($31,690). Luxury jewelry expert Maxwell Stone remarked, “Traditionally, it is believed that sapphires have calming properties, promote peace and pristine rest, helping to slow down the mind.”
Another significant item in Meghan’s collection is the aquamarine ring famously worn by Princess Diana. Meghan wore this ring at her wedding reception to honor Prince Harry’s late mother.
Prince Harry meticulously designed Meghan’s engagement ring to pay tribute to his mother while ensuring it did not directly belong to Diana. He shared with the BBC, “The ring is obviously yellow gold because that’s Meghan’s favorite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the little diamonds either side are from my mother’s jewelry collection, to make sure that she’s with us on this crazy journey together.”
