Prince Harry Actually Owned Princess Diana’s Iconic Engagement Ring, But ‘Selflessly’ Gave It To His Brother

Though the sight of the Duchess of Cambridge wearing Princess Diana’s trademark sapphire and diamond engagement ring is an iconic image for most Brits, the pairing almost didn’t happen.

In the new documentary The Diana Story airing on Amazon Prime, the late Diana’s former butler Paul Burrell confirmed that the ring did not originally belong to Prince William, but rather to his younger brother Harry, per The Sun.

After Diana’s death, each prince was able to chose a piece of her jewelry as a way to remember their mother. William chose a Cartier watch, which had been a gift from her father when she turned 21-years-old. Meanwhile, his younger brother opted for the engagement ring.

Despite the fact that his parents had divorced, the ring maintained a special place in the Duke of Sussex’s heart as it reminded him of his childhood.

“I remember when I held mummy’s hand when I was a small boy and that ring always hurt me because it was so big,” Burrell recounted the redheaded royal saying at the time, and accordingly gave the duke the item from the safe, per Elle.

Years later, the two siblings had grown up and William decided to finally pop the question to his college sweetheart, Kate Middleton. It was at this point that Harry made the incredibly kind gesture.

“Harry said to him: ‘Wouldn’t it be fitting if she had mummy’s ring?'” Burrell claimed.

“Then one day that ring will be sat on the throne of England. Harry gave up his precious treasure. His one thing he kept from his mother, he gave to his brother. That’s selfless, kind and exactly who Diana was,” he added.

However, even though the Duke of Sussex was not able to give Meghan Markle his mother’s engagement ring, he did manage to incorporate her memory. Meghan’s ring was designed by Prince Harry himself and consisted of a center diamond that hailed from Botswana, where the two had bonded during a trip together. Flanking the center diamond were two stones from Diana’s collection.

Shortly after getting engaged, Meghan said that having some of Diana’s jewelry served as a reminder that the late princess was “with us on this crazy journey together.”

That said, the Sussexes have recently been accused of disrespecting Diana’s memory after Netflix released its fourth season of The Crown. As reported by The Inquisitr, the series did not paint many members of the royal family in a particularly good light. The monarchy is said to be “furious” that the ex-royal couple signed a multi-million dollar deal with the streaming giant and will possibly be paid from the profits of the show.