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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
Entertainment
Katie Sewell & George Thorpe

Meghan Markle owns Princess Diana's 'replacement' engagement ring worth £75k

Tributes are continuing to be paid to Princess Diana on the 25th anniversary of her tragic death. The mother of Princes William and Harry died in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997, along with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and Henri Paul, who was driving the vehicle.

Dubbed 'The People's Princess', Diana was at the time of her death one of the most photographed women in the world and was known for her sense of style and fashion. This included her jewellery collection, which she often dazzled fans and onlookers with.

Following her death at the age of 36, Diana's jewellery was split between her two sons, the Express reports. This included a famous ring containing a large aquamarine gem which has been described as a "replacement" engagement ring she used following her divorce from Prince Charles in 1996.

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Jewellery expert Claire Beatson said the ring which also features diamonds is "very impressive and high in value" and she believes its current value to be around £75,000. "Diana famously wore this ring after her divorce from Charles to act as a replacement for the 12-carat sapphire cluster ring," Ms Beatson said.

Since being given her jewellery, both William and Harry have given their mother's items to their respective partners, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle. And when it came to the aquamarine ring, it ended up on the Duchess of Sussex's finger.

Princess Diana often wore the "replacement" engagement ring during events (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

Meghan was spotted wearing the stunning ring during her wedding reception in 2018, with royal fans spotting it as she waved to crowds from a car. She wore it again while on a royal tour in Tonga later the same year.

It is not the only jewellery item that Meghan owns which was either previous the property of Diana or has inspiration from her late mother-in-law. Her own engagement ring includes a pair of diamonds that were once part of the Princess of Wales' collection.

Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex wave as they leave Windsor Castle after their wedding in May 2018 (Steve Parsons - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Diana's actual sapphire engagement ring is now under the ownership of the Duchess of Cambridge. Kate was first spotted wearing the 12-carat oval ring surrounded by diamonds at her engagement photocall in 2010 and rarely takes it off.

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