Noticeably absent? Prince Harry— and an engagement ring.
When Meghan Markle stepped out in Montecito, Calif., on August 10, it was her $10,000 worth of unseasonably warm designer clothes that grabbed the world’s attention.
But a new mysterious detail has been missed in the photos snapped of the mother-of-two walking through a parking lot: she had ripped off her custom three-stone engagement ring!
The glittering ring, which is said to be worth $180k, notably features diamonds from husband Prince Harry’s late mother Princess Diana’s jewelry collection.
The decision not to wear her engagement ring, a previous staple of her wardrobe and ensemble, will doubtless provide more fodder for rumors about strain in her marriage to Harry.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have faced recent strain on their marriage — a claim they’ve denied— after being worn down by public backlash, failed business deals, and public spats with their loved ones, according to palace insiders.
“They’re trying to figure out what hit them,” an insider previously claimed.
“Harry doesn’t fit in Meghan’s tacky Tinseltown world,” the source added, saying at the time he needed to “find himself” after a series of nasty fights, humiliation, and public failures.
The source added that the Sussexes — who moved to Montecito, Calif., in March 2020 after quitting as senior members of the royal family — are “under tremendous financial pressure to fund their lavish California lifestyle, including their $14 million mansion and huge security costs.”
“That stress, coupled with their emotional issues, has likely made life a living hell,” the source added.
While the pair fended off the July 8 reports of a “trial separation” — a source close to the couple denounced it as “not true” — they did indeed spend time apart, with Harry recently traveling to Tokyo, where he vacationed with his polo-playing pal Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras and attended the ISPS Sports Values Summit.
At the time of their engagement, Harry spoke about creating Meghan’s engagement ring with the help of jewelers Cleave and Company, who were Queen Elizabeth’s go-to.
He said, “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.”
The journey has been crazy indeed. As this website also reported, Harry, 38, and Meghan, 42, are losing pals in Tinseltown “left and right” while blaming others for their troubles.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to be “devouring friends like crazy” as of late, a high-level palace courtier dished. “Their rocky road to celebrity stardom is littered with fractured friendships, broken hearts, and bitter feelings.”
Insiders said the couple believes their failing popularity, tarnished public image, and axed business deals are part of an “orchestrated smear campaign.”
Meghan and Harry’s $20 million Spotify podcasting deal fell apart in June.
If he does get the nerve to leave her, he’ll need YEARS of therapy to combat her control over him…and the Crown gets the kids. Bet no one told her that when they got engaged…