Curious detail in new Meghan Markle photos

Amid a furious statement, high-profile appearance, and cosy Valentine’s Day date – there was a surprising detail that flew under the radar.

Meghan Markle has been spotted wearing her $270,000 engagement ring again for the first time in almost a year.

The Duchess of Sussex, 42, is currently in Whistler with her husband, Prince Harry, 39, to attend the One Year To Go Winter Training Camp for the 2025 Invictus Games – where she also appears to have quietly added the piece of jewellery back into her accessory rotation.

Meghan’s engagement ring has made its return. Picture: Splash News/Media Mode

The couple at the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistlers 2025's One Year To Go Winter Training Camp. Picture: Andrew Chin/Getty Images

After royal watchers first noticed that she hadn’t worn the stunning ring in months, People magazine hosed down speculation about issues within the couple’s marriage and quoted a source close to Meghan, who insisted a setting had come loose which required a full service.

An insider also insisted toPage Six that the three-stone was “being fixed”.

\Meghan’s ring was conspicuously absent from several recent events, including last month’s premiere of the Bob Marley biopic One Love in Jamaica, Variety’s Power of Women gala in November, during her appearance at the Ms Foundation’s Women of Vision Awards, and a string of casual public outings.

The ring was absent during Meghan’s appearance at the Women of Vision Awards. Picture: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

It was missing again in a social media post shared by a friend last year. Picture: Instagram

In every outing since at least May, it appears that Meghan has opted not to wear the stunning ring first beamed around the world in late 2017 on the day she and Harry announced they would be getting married.

However, she has continued to wear her wedding band, occasionally layering it with a different, thicker gold ring.

The custom-made ring, which was designed by Harry in collaboration with the late Queen Elizabeth’s jeweller, Cleave & Company, has undergone a significant change since he first gave it to her.

The duchess replaced the original gold band with a thin micro-pavé version in 2019.

It features a large cushion-cut centre diamond from Botswana and two side stones from the late Princess Diana’s jewellery collection.

During Harry and Meghan’s engagement interview, the bride-to-be gushed: “It’s beautiful, and he designed it – it’s incredible.”

Harry and Meghan in Whistler on Thursday. Picture: Andrew Chin/Getty Images/AFP

The ring’s re-emergence comes as the couple fired up in a statement this week over claims they needed to “prove they can behave” and their capacity for “discretion” during the three-day Invictus Games event.

The assertion, delivered by the UK Telegraph’s royal editor on Tuesday off the back of Harry’s face-to-face reunion with his cancer-stricken father last week, prompted a furious statement from the Sussex spokesperson.

“We’ve heard time and time again that certain opportunities are make or break for the couple,” a statement to The Mirror read.

“They’re still here. They’re still working and pursuing what they believe in, despite constantly being challenged and criticised. This couple will not be broken.”

Originally published as Curious detail in new Meghan Markle photos