The Battle of Diana’s Jewels: What Princess Catherine & Meghan Markle Really Inherited?!

The Battle of Diana's Jewels – What Princess Catherine and Meghan Really Inherited The world assumes Diana's jewels were simply inherited. They weren't. They became weapons. Glittering symbols of power, loyalty and the silent battles played out between Princess Catherine and Meghan. When Diana died, she left behind nearly £10 million worth of jewels for her sons, William and Harry. Treasures meant to be shared between the women they would one day marry. But no one could have predicted what came next. Because while these jewels were intended for the future queens of the monarchy, two very different women would go on to claim them and completely reshape their meaning. The pieces Princess Catherine inherited have become part of the official royal legacy, worn with the weight of a future queen. But the jewels Duchess Meghan received? Those are the pieces that still haunt the palace. Wrapped in symbolism, controversy and memories the monarchy can't quite escape. And then came the most revealing twist of all. In spare, Harry wrote, I asked him to harvest the diamonds from one particularly beautiful bracelet of mummies. A single sentence that confirmed what the palace never wanted said out loud, Meghan's jewels weren't just heirlooms. They were taken from Diana's personal treasures, chosen with intent. Asprey Aquamarine Ring Diana's iconic divorce ring, the piece she chose to wear after removing her famous sapphire engagement ring, has now become one of Meghan's most meaningful royal jewels. On the night of her wedding, as Meghan stepped into her evening reception at Frogmore House, she wore a brilliant pop of something blue. A massive aquamarine cocktail ring on her right hand, perfectly echoed by the blue soles of her Aquazura heels. The ring itself is extraordinary. An almost 30 carat emerald cut aquamarine, framed by two delicate diamond solitaires and set in rich 24 carat yellow gold. Originally a gift to Diana from her close friend Lucia Flecha de Lima, it was crafted by Asprey in 1996. Diana wore this ring only twice. Always during moments of heartbreak, always on her left ring finger, a quiet, powerful symbol of her post-divorce independence. After her passing in 1997, the ring vanished from public view, until it suddenly resurfaced as Prince Harry's personal wedding gift to Meghan in 2018. But what makes the aquamarine so fascinating is the emotional contrast. Diana wore it in sorrow, Meghan wore it in celebration. After the wedding reception, Meghan brought it out again for the royal dinner in Tonga, and even after stepping away from royal duties, she continued to wear it proudly. Most notably in 2022, at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala, every reappearance of this £85,000 aquamarine stirs up a whirlwind of tabloid attention. Cartier Tank Francaise watch. A vintage heirloom, famously swapped by the brothers, and with it, the destiny of Diana's most beloved jewel shifted forever. Can you guess which jewel was it exchanged with? For years, fans have eagerly tracked the special jewellery pieces Meghan Markle inherited from her mother-in-law, Princess Diana. Among them, one of the most recognisable, and often debated, is the iconic Cartier Tank Francaise watch that frequently graces Meghan's wrist, especially since the couple's first official portrait after stepping back from royal duties in 2020. Princess Diana was often seen wearing her gold Cartier watches, including during a 1997 visit to London's Shri Swami Narayan Mandir and at an engagement with the British Lung Foundation that same year. The heirloom itself has deep family connections. Prince Harry's grandfather gifted Diana a Cartier Tank Louis Cartier watch in the 1980s, believed to have come from her father, the 8th Earl Spencer. Following her divorce in 1996, Diana began favouring the gold Cartier Tank Francaise, replacing the Patek Philippe watch previously given to her by Prince Charles. For Meghan, this priceless heirloom has proven to be a perfect fit. She admired tank watches long before meeting Prince Harry and has made it a staple on numerous occasions, including appearances in their new Netflix series. Diamond Tennis Bracelet Here's the twist few people know. Prince Harry didn't choose those Diana diamonds on his own. Prince William actually gave him permission, a rare gesture that left Harry genuinely surprised. The Cartier Diamond Tennis Bracelet was once one of Princess Diana's most striking pieces. She first debuted it in 1996, sparkling against a stunning red gown at an American Red Cross gala in Washington. More than two decades later, Meghan Markle unveiled the very same bracelet at a state dinner in Fiji in 2018, a moment that instantly set the tabloids ablaze. Another heirloom from Diana, quietly passed down through Prince Harry to the new Duchess. For Meghan, the bracelet became more than jewellery. It became a tribute, a way of echoing her mother-in-law's elegance, while carrying Diana's memory into her own story. Valued at £125,000, the sleek, diamond-studded piece reappeared during one of Meghan's most defining public moments, her and Harry's explosive tell-all interview with Oprah in 2021. She deliberately chose a symbolic jewel from Diana's collection to wear on that global stage. Gifted to Meghan by Prince Harry in the early days of their relationship, the bracelet quickly became one of her most cherished pieces. She's worn it repeatedly, sometimes stacked with other favourites, sometimes on its own, each time sending a quiet message of continuity. And in 2021, at the Salute to Freedom gala, Meghan brought the tribute full circle, wearing a dramatic red Carolina Herrera gown. She paired it once again with Diana's diamond bracelet, an unmistakable echo of the night Diana first wore it in 1996. Butterfly Earrings A gift that speaks volumes without words, sapphires and diamonds intertwined, a tender tribute from Prince Harry to Meghan, and a piece that keeps Princess Diana's memory close. This particular jewel features a gold choker ending in a delicate butterfly, a motif Meghan has not yet worn in this form. But the butterfly has already made its mark in her collection with the pavé diamond stud earrings, which she debuted at the official start of the Australian Royal Tour in 2018. Princess Diana famously wore the same butterfly studs during a 1986 trip to Canada with the future King Charles, when Prince Harry was just a baby. Though Diana wore them only once, the earrings carry a special resonance for Meghan. Meghan returned to the butterfly studs after her maternity break that fall, choosing them for the launch of a capsule clothing collection supporting her patronage, Smartworks, in September 2019. Her love for these subtle, classic earrings, simple, elegant and timeless, continued last year during a school visit in Colombia. There, the Duchess of Sussex sparkled in the sentimental studs while interacting with a kindergarten class, a beautiful nod to Princess Diana's lifelong connection with children, recalling her own early work as a kindergarten teacher in London. Meghan definitely knows how to pay tribute to Diana with her limited jewel heirlooms. How much is Meghan's bracelet from Princess Diana's private collection worth? The answer, around £25,000, but the real value is far deeper than the price tag. Meghan Markle first debuted Princess Diana's yellow gold omega chain cuff bracelet at the official start of the Australian Royal Tour, just after the world learned she and The bracelet, accented with deep blue cabochon stones, was reportedly a gift from Harry to mark her pregnancy, a sentimental heirloom chosen to connect his new family with the mother he lost. The Duchess wore the piece again at the Cirque du Soleil charity gala in London in 2019, stunning in a midnight Roland Mouret gown while six months pregnant. But it was the bracelet that stole the spotlight. The flexible torque bangle is crafted in 18 carat yellow gold, swirling like a sculpted ribbon around the wrist. At each end sits a smooth cabochon sapphire, framed by twinkling diamonds, elegant, striking and unmistakably Diana. Princess Diana herself wore this bangle on May 25th, 1994, during an engagement at the Dunhill shop in Mayfair. A small detail, but one that makes the piece all the more poignant. The jewel, worn in her independent years, later passed on to the woman her son chose. Now it's time to look at the jewels Prince William chose to share with Princess Catherine from his mother's personal collection. Diana's sapphire engagement ring, a stone the palace once hated. Soon after Prince William used it to ask for her hand in 2010, the ring became one of Princess Catherine's most cherished possessions and one of the most iconic jewels in modern royal history. The Princess of Wales engagement ring features a breathtaking 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire, framed by 14 brilliant-cut solitaire diamonds and set in 18-carat white gold. Originally chosen by Princess Diana herself from a bold break from royal tradition. When King Charles III presented it to Diana, it set off a global sapphire craze. And decades later, with Princess Catherine wearing it, the ring's legacy only grew stronger. Jewellery experts estimate that Princess Diana's engagement ring has risen in value over 1,150% since the 1980s, a testament not only to its beauty, but to its mythic status. Prince William has always said that proposing with his mother's ring was his way of keeping her close to it all, a symbolic gesture. Yet what many don't know is this. After Diana's death, the ring was actually inherited by Prince Harry. He later gave it to William so his brother could propose with it, a moment Harry revisits in spare, where he acknowledges that he long believed he was the ring's rightful inheritor. And still, the story goes even deeper. When Diana chose her engagement ring in 1981, she broke protocol by selecting it herself. A ring that wasn't custom made, but one that captured her heart. Today, with Princess Catherine wearing it, the ring has come full circle. A jewel that once symbolised Diana's independent spirit now symbolises Princess Catherine's modern monarchy. A ring chosen against tradition, now defining the very tradition it once defied. It's the perfect embodiment of the phrase, Diamond and South Sea Pearl Earrings Cherished by Diana, perfected by Princess Catherine, these earrings have become a signature across two generations of royal women. Diana famously wore the Diamond and South Sea Pearl Earrings for a banquet in 1990, pairing them with their matching pearl drops for a look that became instantly iconic. But the brilliance of these earrings lies in their versatility. The large pearls are removable, allowing the piece to transform from regal to refined in a moment. Princess Diana showcased this versatility at one of her final public appearances, the Swan Lake performance at the Royal Albert Hall in June 1997, where she wore the earrings without the pearl drops, allowing the intricate diamond curves to take centre stage. The design features a double arc of mixed-cut diamonds, anchored by a radiant cluster of stones at the centre, a silhouette both architectural and ethereal. Decades later, the earrings found a new chapter. In 2019, Catherine, Princess of Wales, stepped onto the BAFTA red carpet wearing an angelic white asymmetrical Alexander McQueen gown, and the very earrings Diana once loved. Rather than the round South Sea Pearls Diana favoured, Princess Catherine chose elongated drops sourced from another pair of Diana's earrings, giving the historic jewel a modern streamlined twist. Valued at £65,000, these earrings have become a standout in Princess Catherine's jewellery rotation. She wore them more than six times in 2019 alone, and selected them again for the coronation of King Charles III in 2023, moments when she wanted to honour Diana through subtle, meaningful elegance. Cabochon Sapphire Drop Earrings What looks like the sapphire jewels of Diana all seem to have found a new life with Princess Catherine. Another true sapphire lover, just like her late mother-in-law, on June 2nd, 2022 at Trooping the Colour, Princess Catherine debuted a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings she inherited from Diana. Long-time Diana admirers recognised them instantly. Their precise provenance remains unknown, but given the pattern of Diana's jewellery gifts, it's likely they were presented to her after her marriage. The earrings feature eight diamonds on the upper charm and nine on the lower, each arranged in a delicate daisy-like cluster surrounding a deep cabochon sapphire. A single suspended diamond links the two sections, giving the earrings their distinctive, graceful drop. After Diana's passing in 1997, the earrings were inherited by her sons, and remained completely unworn in public for nearly 25 years. Today, Princess Catherine has revived them, most recently wearing them again during the German state visit, and they already appear to be among her own favourites, just as they once were for Princess Diana. Collingwood Diamond and Pearl Earrings Did you know these earrings were actually a replacement wedding gift? Collingwood jewellers originally intended to present Diana with a full suite, but the palace reportedly felt it was too extravagant. Instead, they offered something far more enduring, the pearl drop earrings that would become one of Princess Diana's signature jewels. Today, those same Collingwood Pearl Earrings are among Princess Catherine's most treasured heirlooms from her late mother-in-law. A gift to Diana on the eve of her royal wedding, they were instantly beloved. Each earring features a diamond stud, a second suspended diamond, a delicate diamond-set bell cap, and a magnificent South Sea pearl drop, elegant, luminous, and unmistakably regal. Diana first wore them in June 1981 at a dinner in honour of King Khalid of Saudi Arabia, just weeks before her wedding. From that moment on, they became one of her most worn pieces for formal occasions, especially when paired with her favourite pearl tiaras and necklaces. When Diana passed away, the earrings were inherited by her sons, and in 2017 they made their emotional return when Princess Catherine wore them for the Spanish state banquet, signalling a new chapter for one of Diana's most iconic jewels. Since then, Princess Catherine has worn the Collingwood Pearls for countless major events, from state dinners to her 40th birthday portrait. The South Sea Pearls alone are estimated at £30,000, but their true value lies in legacy. Three-Strand Pearl Bracelet with Diamond Clasps Diana adored her pearls, so much so that she could give even Elizabeth Taylor a run for her money. One of her most beloved pieces was the delicate three-strand pearl bracelet designed for her in the 1980s by Nigel Milne. The princess made it iconic during her 1989 trip to Hong Kong, pairing it with her legendary Elvis dress, the White Princess Catherine Walker creation, embroidered with an extraordinary 28,600 pearls. The bracelet itself is a masterclass in refined sparkle, with diamond and pearl spaces that give subtle shimmer without overwhelming her outfits. And just like many of Diana's jewels, it has gracefully transitioned into the collection of the Princess of Wales. Princess Catherine debuted the bracelet during the 2017 Royal Tour of Germany, styling it with a modern Markus-Lupfer bird print dress, a fresh, unexpected pairing that showed the jewel's versatility. She later wore it again on the 2022 Royal Tour, this time with an elegant white lace Alexander McQueen dress, proving that Diana's bracelet moves effortlessly between contemporary and regal looks. Estimated at £35,000, this three-strand pearl bracelet isn't just a jewel, it's a living piece of Diana's legacy, worn and loved by the next Queen Consort, Princess Catherine. That's all for tonight. Tell us in the comments what you think about the jewels shared between the wives of Prince William and Prince Harry. And before you go, don't forget to like and subscribe for more royal jewel stories.