William and Kate's 10th anniversary: Harry gave up Diana's ring for brother so that he could propose to duchess
In light of Prince William and Kate Middleton's 10-year wedding anniversary, a new documentary has revealed how Prince Harry "selflessly" gave up Princess Diana's engagement ring so his brother could give it to the Duchess of Cambridge.
Following Diana's tragic death in a car crash in 1997, Prince Charles told his sons to select pieces from their mother's jewelry collection in her memory. According to the documentary, the sapphire ring went to Harry.
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Diana's former butler Paul Burrell explained how Harry offered his older sibling their mother's ring shortly before he proposed to his now-wife Catherine.
"Harry said to him (William): 'Wouldn't it be fitting if she had mummy's ring?' Then one day that ring will be sat on the throne of England," Burrell told producers of the Amazon Prime documentary 'The Diana Story'. "Harry gave up his precious treasure. The one thing he kept from his mother, he gave to his brother. That's selfless, kind, and exactly who Diana was," he added.
As noted by the Daily Nonpareil, Harry's selfless gesture meant he would not be able to present the ring to Meghan Markle when he proposed to her in 2017. Instead, the 36-year-old royal is said to have designed the engagement ring himself using two diamonds that had belonged to Diana alongside a central stone from Botswana, where the Sussexes had been on holiday.
At the time, Meghan had applauded her princely husband for his "thoughtfulness" and said it ensured that Princess Diana would always be a part of their story. "Everything about Harry's thoughtfulness and the inclusion of Princess Diana's stones and obviously not being able to meet his mum," the former actress said. "It's so important to me to know that she's a part of this with us."
Meanwhile, it also emerged that William and Harry had both agreed for their late mother's wedding dress to be displayed at Kensington Palace as part of a Historic Royal Palaces temporary exhibition. According to Entertainment Daily, the exhibition is slated to open in the newly-restored historic Orangery from June 3 until January 2022.
“Our summer exhibition at Kensington Palace will shine a spotlight on some of the greatest talents of British design," said Matthew Storey, an exhibition curator at Historic Royal Palaces. “While one of the highlights will undoubtedly be Diana, Princess of Wales’s show-stopping Emanuel-designed wedding dress – which goes on show at the palace for the first time in 25 years — we’ve got some real surprises up our sleeve for fashion fans," Storey added.
It seems like it was just yesterday when a 29-year-old Kate walked down the aisle in her now-iconic Alexander McQueen gown to marry Prince William. But 10 years have passed since the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge tied the knot in a ceremony performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. Since then a lot has transpired in the couple's life. They had three children, took on more royal duties, lost loved ones, but one thing that remained constant is their love for each other.
