This Is Why Meghan Markle Isn’t Wearing Her Engagement Ring

It’s surprisingly relatable

Meghan Markle

by Phoebe Parke |
Updated on

Meghan Markle loves to wear a ring. And, from the aquamarine Princess Diana ring she wore as she dashed off to her wedding reception, to the stacked Pippa Small gold and diamond ring she wore to Princess Eugenie’s wedding, she’s certainly not short of options to adorn her fingers with.

However, eagle-eyed royal watchers spotted Meghan out and about last week without her engagement ring on, prompting calls of ‘how dare she’, ‘what is she doing?!’ and ‘what an insult!’ But if you were one of those outraged by her slipping off her engagement ring, please rest assured – she had good reason.

Meghan Markle engagement ring
©Getty Images

The most prominent theory about why Meghan Markle attended her engagement at Canada House with Prince Harry without her ring is that her fingers have swollen due to pregnancy, and so she’s taking a break from wearing it. She did however wear her gold wedding band, which was made from Welsh gold by Cleave and Company.

Some others speculated the diamond engagement ring, which features gems from Princess Diana’s collection, was being cleaned.

READ MORE: The Best Of Meghan Markle's Pregnancy Style

Gallery

Meghan Markle Pregnancy Style - Grazia

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meghan markle pregnancy style

Making a surprise appearance at the British Fashion Awards calls for a pretty spectacular outfit. Enter this timeless number, which has since set the bar high for one-shoulder gowns.

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meghan markle pregnancy style

Meghan visited Smart Works, which one of the four new patronages, wearing a simple maternity dress from Hatch. She paired this with a classic trench coat from Oscar de la Renta, and part-sheer printed heels by Gianvito Rossi. Understated yet elegant.

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meghan markle pregnancy style

Whilst attending a Royal Variety performance, Meghan dazzled in a sleek black skirt and monochrome top that featured a floral pattern. We love.

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meghan markle pregnant oufits

During a visit to Brinsworth House (which is the Royal Variety Charity's residential nursing and care home), Meghan stepped out wearing a clean white floral dress by brand Brock Collection. To beat the chill, she threw on a long grey coat Soia and Kyo, before completing her look with a classic nude clutch and heels.

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meghan markle pregnancy style

When visiting Birkenhead with her beau Prince Harry, Meghan wore a bright purple dress under this striking red coat by fashion brand Sentaler. Her statement red shoes were from Stuart Weitzman, and we're pretty obsessed with them.

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meghan markle pregnancy style outfits

Meghan wore a Roland Mouret sequin gown during a visit to watch a charity performance of Cirque du Soleil at Royal Albert Hall. Her sequined evening look was paired with black heels by Stuart Weitzman, and she donned a slicked back bun and bold lips.

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meghan markle pregnancy style

Drawing inspiration from her sister-in-law Kate Middleton, Meghan often to wear an affordable cream dress from H&M during a visit to Mayhew, one of her royal patronages. She covered the dress with a smart Armani coat and heels. Chic.

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meghan markle pregnancy style

Burgundy is definitely the Duchess' colour! This Club Monaco coat and her collared dress make for a match-made in heaven. And when paired with with black tights and chunky heeled boots, we have a winning winter outfit.

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meghan markle pregnancy style

For the final Armistice Day service at Westminster Abbey, Meghan wore an elegant navy skirt and boxed-style shoulder peplum top, complete with a headpiece and large poppy pin.

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meghan markle outfits pregnancy baby

Can we just take a moment for this custom Givenchy outfit? Created for her last royal engagement in New Zealand, Meghan married a classy navy sweater with a pleated maxi skirt which showcased different shades of blue.

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meghan markle pregnancy

The Duchess has opted to wear navy on several occasions during her pregnancy, including the time she wore this Antonio Berardi dress with a pair of Aquazzura heels.

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meghan markle baby outfits

Yes, Meghan Markle is often spotted wearing heels and princess-worthy gowns, but she's also capable of rocking a more laid-back style with ease. Take this Karen Walker blazer, J.Crew skinny jeans, and practical rain boots as proof.

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meghan markle pregnancy

In New Zealand, Meghan wore this gorgeous plaid trench by Karen Walker. She layered it over a black dress which was sold on ASOS, proving that designer and high-street go hand-in-hand.

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meghan markle pregnancy style

For her speech at the Invictus Games closing ceremony, Meghan donned a tailored, olive green dress by the designer Antonio Berardi. She completed her look with a poppy pin.

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meghan markle pregnancy outfits

Meghan accompanied Harry to watch the wheelchair basketball finals at Invictus Games, and donned a casual yet chic outfit. The Duchess proved that a simple pair of skinny jeans and a wrap top are in still very much in style.

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meghan markle pregnancy style

Meghan wowed the crowd at Australian Geographic Society Awards in this flowing Oscar de la Renta gown, which she styled with slingback heels.

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meghan markle pregnancy outfits style

Have you ever seen a Veronica Beard Cary Dress and blue suede shoes look so chic together?

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meghan markle pregnancy outfit

What does one wear to dinner with the King and Queen of Tonga? Only a white gown by Theia, pumps by Aquazzura and earrings by Birks, of course!

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green dress meghan markle pregnancy outfit

Whilst attended the unveiling of a statue in honour of a British-Fijan soldier, Meghan chose to wear Jason Wu green mid-length dress with pointed heels and an arm cuff.

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blue dress meghan markle pregnancy

The Duchess's eye-catching blue gown by Safiyaa, married with a pair of diamond drop earrings, is one of our favourite Meghan Markle outfits of all-time.

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white dress meghan markle pregnancy outfits

White 3/4 sleeve dress + matching Stephen Jones fascinator _ straw clutch = Heaven in an outfit.

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meghan markle black dress

We're obsessed with this black Emilia Wickstead dress which features dainty buttons all the way down the middle. And it looks even better when paired with this Philip Treacy fascinator, don't you think?

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meghan markle pregnancy style dress

A striped Martin Grant dress is the only plausible outfit to wear on the beach, right? We certainly think so.

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meghan markle outfit pregnancy

See, we told you that Meghan is a fan of the colour navy. Lots of her dress choices - like this two-toned number by Roksanda - feature varying shades of blue.

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meghan markle blue navy dress

Let's face it: we can't blame Meghan for her love affair with navy - she really does know how to pull the colour off, and it's complementary against her dark hair colour.

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meghan markle pregnancy dress

When we first saw Meghan wearing this forest green Brandon Maxwell dress, we fell hard in love, and in all honestly, we haven't stopped thinking about it since.

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meghan markle pregnancy dress

This classy white dress by Australian designer Karen Gee was the first item that Meghan was spotted in after the news of her pregnancy was confirmed.

Interestingly, protocol dictates that royals don’t have to wear wedding rings at all. Prince William, for example, doesn’t wear one at all, nor does Prince Phillip. It’s all down to personal preference, and royals can choose whether to wear a ring or not; Princes Charles and Harry both wear wedding bands.

But Meghan Markle isn’t the only expectant mother to forgo wearing jewellery or tight shoes due to swelling, here are some other strange things the body does when pregnant:

  • Your voice can get lower as more oestrogen and progesterone are created, which affects lung capacity and muscle control, this can result in swelling of the vocal chords.
  • Hair starts growing all over your body, including the face, chest and arms.
  • Bad breath is common among some pregnant women as hormones changes contribute to excess bacteria in the mouth, but on the plus side – NHS dental appointments are free during pregnancy.
  • Your vagina can go blue. Yes you read that correctly, it’s all because of an increase in blood flow to the area.
  • You can get really sweaty. Just another joyous side effect, thought to be caused by increased blood flow and metabolism.
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