Meghan Markle's Wedding Band: How Wide?

Meghan Markle's wedding band is a pure Welsh gold ring, a gift from Queen Elizabeth herself, which has deep roots for the royal family. The tradition of using Welsh gold for wedding bands in the British royal family dates back to 1923 when the Queen Mother chose the material for her wedding ring. The gold is currently the rarest and most expensive type of gold as it hasn't been mined in over two decades. Markle's wedding band is a simple gold band, crafted by Cleave and Company, to match her yellow gold engagement ring and eternity ring.

Meghan Markle's wedding band was a gift from Queen Elizabeth

The ring was designed by Cleave and Company, the court jewellers and medallists to the Queen. The company also designed the wedding rings of Princess Anne, Princess Diana, Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Princess Eugenie, who have all continued the tradition of Welsh gold bands.

The wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry took place on 19 May 2018 at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. The ceremony was a fairytale event, incorporating both traditional and African-American cultural elements. The bride's ensemble included a dress designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, a diamond bandeau tiara lent by Queen Elizabeth, and the elegant Welsh gold wedding band.

The couple's wedding rings were a meaningful part of their special day, with Prince Harry choosing a platinum band. The exchange of rings sealed their marriage vows, which included the promise "to love and to cherish" each other. The wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry was a memorable occasion, marked by the continuation of royal traditions and the creation of new ones.

The ring was made from rare Welsh gold

The wedding band of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is a ring of great significance and beauty. The ring was crafted from rare Welsh gold, a type of gold highly prized for its origin and scarcity. Welsh gold is found in natural geological deposits in two distinct areas of Wales, with early Welsh princes wearing Celtic jewellery made from this gold. The use of Welsh gold in the royal family began in 1911 when Prince Edward was invested as the Prince of Wales, with the regalia incorporating Welsh gold.

The tradition of Welsh gold wedding rings in the royal family started with Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother, on her wedding day in 1923. The custom has been perpetuated ever since, with Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Anne, Princess Diana, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Princess Eugenie all wearing wedding bands made from this ultra-rare gold.

The gold used in Meghan's wedding band is from the Clogau St David's Mine, one of the largest and richest gold mines in Wales. The mine is located in Bontddu, near Barmouth in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. Welsh gold is chemically identical to gold mined anywhere else, but its name and value are derived from the place it was mined. The scarcity of Welsh gold adds to its exclusivity, as it hasn't been mined in over two decades, making any available pieces highly sought-after.

Meghan's wedding band, a gift from the Queen herself, is a testament to the long-standing tradition of Welsh gold in the royal family. The elegant yellow gold band, crafted by Cleave and Company, is a symbol of Meghan's union with Prince Harry and her place in the royal family. The use of Welsh gold in her wedding band connects Meghan to a lineage of royal women, each with their own unique love story.

Harry designed the ring himself

Prince Harry designed Meghan Markle's engagement ring himself. The ring features a three-carat cushion-cut centre diamond from Botswana, flanked by two smaller round diamonds from his mother Princess Diana's personal collection. Harry worked with jewellers Cleave and Company to create the ring, which is set on a gold band, Meghan's favourite.

Harry chose the centre diamond from Botswana because it holds special meaning for the couple. They had previously vacationed in the country together, and it was there that Harry managed to persuade Meghan to join him for a camping trip under the stars, just a few weeks after their first date.

Harry also wanted to incorporate his mother's diamonds into the ring, so that "she's with us on this crazy journey together". This was particularly important to Meghan, who said: "It's so important to me to know that she's a part of this with us. It's incredibly special to be able to have this, which sort of links where [Harry comes] from and Botswana, which is important to us, it's perfect."

Harry proposed to Meghan on the grounds of Kensington Palace in 2017. The couple made their media debut as an engaged couple on November 27, 2017, posing hand-in-hand for photos in the Sunken Gardens of Kensington Palace.

The ring features a cushion-cut centre diamond

The ring given to Meghan Markle by Prince Harry features a cushion-cut centre diamond, estimated to be around three carats in weight. The couple chose the diamond from Botswana, a country that holds a special place in their hearts, as it was where they first vacationed together.

The centre diamond is flanked by two smaller round diamonds, estimated to be just under a carat each. These side stones were chosen by Prince Harry from his late mother Princess Diana's personal jewellery collection, ensuring that she was with them on their "crazy journey together". The trilogy ring design typically represents a couple's past, present and future, with the largest stone symbolising the present and the importance of living in the moment.

The cushion-cut diamond is set in a yellow gold band, as yellow gold is Meghan's favourite. The ring was designed by Prince Harry with the help of jewellers Cleave & Co., also known as Cleave and Company, the late Queen Elizabeth's regular jewellers.

The engagement ring has since been reset with a thin micro-pavé band, replacing the original solid yellow gold band. This was likely done by celebrity jeweller Lorraine Schwartz, who also designed a diamond eternity band for Meghan as a gift from Harry on their first wedding anniversary.

The ring was crafted by Cleave & Co

Meghan Markle's wedding band was crafted by Cleave & Co., the same jeweller that designed her engagement ring. The gold ring was a gift from Queen Elizabeth herself, continuing a century-old royal tradition of wedding bands made from Welsh gold.

Cleave & Co. is a royal jeweller and has created pieces for the late Queen Elizabeth. The company was first enlisted by Prince Harry to design Markle's engagement ring, which features a three-carat cushion-cut centre diamond from Botswana, flanked by two smaller round diamonds from Princess Diana's personal collection.

Harry designed the engagement ring himself, and the wedding band was also crafted in the Cleave workshop. The thin, elegant yellow gold band is a continuation of the tradition started by the Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, on her wedding day in 1923. Welsh gold is the rarest and most expensive type of gold, as it has not been mined in over two decades. Markle's wedding band is a symbol of her inclusion in the royal family and a testament to the skill and craftsmanship of Cleave & Co.

The Duchess of Sussex's ring collection also includes an eternity ring, designed by Lorraine Schwartz and gifted to her by Prince Harry for their first wedding anniversary and the birth of their first child. This ring joins the wedding band and engagement ring, creating a cohesive set of three rings.

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