The royal wedding was full of subtle tributes to Princess Diana on Saturday, including Meghan Markle‘s choice to wear one of her rings to the evening reception.
Markle changed into a second gown for the evening reception at Frogmore House. She wore a high-collar dress in the same pure white as her wedding gown from that morning. On her right hand, she wore a late mother-in-law’s aquamarine emerald-cut ring, just as Princess Diana reportedly wanted her to do.
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A Kensington Palace spokesperson confirmed to @BuzzFeedNews that Meghan is wearing an aquamarine ring that belonged to the late Princess Diana: pic.twitter.com/mmwgKrXKcj
— Ellie Hall (@ellievhall) May 19, 2018
The beloved Princess of Wales, who passed away tragically in 1997, wrote a “letter of wishes” explaining how she wanted her jewellery divided between her sons, according to a report by The Daily Mail. The letter instructed Princes William and Harry to share the items with their future wives.
“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,” she reportedly wrote. “I leave the exact division of the jewellery to your discretion.”
At this point, it is not clear whether Prince Harry gave the extravagant blue ring to Markle as a gift, or if she wore it as “something borrowed” or “something blue” just for the wedding. It is the first time Markle has been seen wearing something that belonged to the late princess, with the exception of her engagement ring, which features two diamonds from Diana’s collection. Many people interpreted the ring as a symbol that Markle has now officially joined the Royal Family.
The ring was first spotted on Princess Diana’s hand during a trip to Australia in 1996. The following year, she passed away suddenly in a car accident, and it is no secret that her sons have had a hard time coping with their loss.
On Saturday morning, Prince Harry made no secret of his feelings. Fans were touched to see the Prince wiping tears of joy from his face as he stood beside his new bride. Prince Harry looked impressive in his British Army Blue and Royals frock coat, reminding the assembled crowd of his extensive military record. He showed that even the toughest soldier can put his emotions on display as the moment overcame him.
Markle herself didn’t appear to shed a tear throughout the whole proceeding. She was all smiles as she listened raptly to the speakers, said her vows and slipped a ring onto her groom‘s finger. She wore a long-sleeve boat neck Givenchy gown with a long train and a cathedral-length veil, as well as Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau tiara.
The royal wedding began at 7 a.m. ET, meaning that admirers in the U.S. were up early on this Saturday morning. IN Windsor Town it was 11 a.m. BST (British Summer Time) as the crowd assembled in and outside of St. George’s Chapel.
