Meghan Markle’s engagement ring sparks new debate as fans spot difference

Meghan Markle has caused an online frenzy among eagle-eyed fans after she was spotted promoting her friend’s charity. See photos.

Meghan Markle’s engagement ring has sparked a debate after eagle-eyed fans noticed new changes to the jewel.

The LA-based royal’s engagement ring is a three-stone ring, featuring two diamonds from Princess Diana’s jewellery collection.

But just 18 months after her engagement, she made changes to the jewellery by replacing the yellow gold band with a delicate diamond-studded band instead.

The ring also features a centre cushion cut diamond sourced from Botswana, which was chosen by her husband Prince Harry.

The Duchess of Sussex was pictured without her engagement ring for eight months last year, before she wore it again earlier this year.

Meghan wears the adjusted engagement ring in a new Instagram post supporting her friend’s charity. Picture: Instagram

However, in a new Instagram post for her friend Kelly Zajfren’s charity, Alliance of Mums, Meghan was once again wearing the ring – and, as many pointed out, it appeared to have doubled in size.

The former actress can be seen in several snaps with her friends which showed her unintentionally flaunting her engagement ring, which appeared to have more diamonds.

In one particular photo, Meghan can be seen laughing with Zajfen and her former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer while her sparkling band gleams in the sun.

Meghan Markle’s engagement ring has sparked debate after eagle-eyed fans noticed new changes to the jewellery.

Kelly Zajfren (right) runs the Alliance of Moms charity. Picture: Instagram

Fans were quick to point out the noticeable change to the jewellery.

“Is it just me or has #MeghanMarkle’s engagement ring doubled in size?,” one person wrote.

Another said: “I’ve been saying she took the ring off to slowly change the size of the diamond. What do we have here!?”, one person wrote.

While a third agreed: “So that’s why she didn’t wear it for so long. In the hope that no one would compare pictures.”

However, some were quick to come to Meghan’s defence over the potential upgrade of the ring.

“A lot of women have their diamonds upgraded,” one wrote.

Another agreed: “It could be the same ring just with two other bands on her finger, a wedding band and eternity one perhaps?”

MEGHAN’S SURPRISE PODCAST MOVE AMID NEW BULLYING CLAIMS

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex left royal staff shattered with their impossible demands and held “huge inquests” into every public engagement, a royal expert has claimed.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were obsessed with their public image, they arranged post mortems to gauge their popularity compared with other royals, and their demands left staff feeling frustrated they could do nothing right, said royal reporter and commentator Richard Palmer.

The claims come after the Sussex’s were accused of bullying after which 10 staff resigned – including the late Queen’s former assistant private secretary, Australian Samantha Cohen, – triggering an internal Palace review, the results of which have never been made public.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex have been accused of being horrible bosses to royal staff. Picture: Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation

“There were staff in the royal household complaining about the way Harry and Meghan were treating them,” said Mr Palmer.

“I’ve certainly spoken to people who have said that nothing they did for them was ever right – and there was always a massive inquest after every royal engagement that they did.

“It would be: ‘Why did we do this? Why did you say that?’ I think it was really difficult for a lot of people,” Mr Palmer told The Sun.

The new claims come amid news the launch of Meghan’s highly-publicised new podcast has been quietly “pushed back” amid “concerns” it may be overshadowed by her new lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard.

The Duchess of Sussex’s much-hyped audio deal with female-founded company Lemonada Media, announced last February less than a year after the Sussexes’ Spotify deal collapsed, was set to generate a follow-up series to her Archetypes podcast.

However, according to Daily Mail royal journalist Richard Eden, sources close to the matter have revealed the podcast has been delayed until 2025.

‘DUCHESS DIFFICULT’: CLAIMS MEGHAN LEFT STAFF IN TEARS

Mr Palmer’s bullying comments come as the Sussexes this week recruited a new communications officer, Charlie Gipson, to represent them in England.

Queen Elizabeth II and the Duchess of Sussex and in the background Samantha Cohen, the Queen's former Assistant Private Secretary who also worked with the Duchess. Picture: Getty Images

Mr Palmer underlined problems with the couple’s last communications secretary, American-born Sara Latham, who worked for Hillary Clinton and handled the bullying complaints lodged against the pair when they were working royals.

“Sara was in a really difficult situation. She was caught between a rock and a hard place,” Mr Palmer said.

“She was trying to be loyal to the people who employed her – Harry and Meghan – and she was getting pelter from the press because of the way they were behaving.”

At the time, Meghan was labelled “Duchess Difficult” by palace aides because of her “dictatorial” behaviour and 5am emails, he said.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's former PR director Sara Latham. Picture: Supplied

Sources told The Times that Meghan’s behaviour drove two personal assistants out of the household and undermined the confidence of a third.

The Duchess reportedly barked “it’s not my job to coddle people” after aides were left crying and belittled by her “difficult demands”.

The Times’ report claimed Meghan “humiliated” at least one ex-staffer while another described her actions as “more like emotional cruelty and manipulation…”

The Palace released a statement at the time saying they were “very concerned” at claims the Duchess bullied staff.

“We are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” Buckingham Palace said.

“Accordingly our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article.”

The late Queen commissioned a law firm to investigate the bullying claims in 2018 with the palace declaring the results would be made public.

But the palace later revealed it could not release the findings for confidentiality reasons.

After helping organise CHOGM in London in 2018, the Queen asked Ms Cohen to stay on as private secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have had bullying accusations against them since 2018. Picture: AFP

She left amid allegations of bullying against the Duchess, Meghan Markle, which Meghan strenuously denied.

But in his book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown author Valentine Low alleged Ms Cohen was “screamed at” before and during the pair’s first official tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand, despite organising it.

“Sam always made it clear that it was like working for a couple of teenagers,” a source is said to have told Low.

“They [Meghan and Prince Harry] were impossible and pushed her to the limit. She was miserable.”

Ms Cohen will not elaborate on the claims except to confirm she was one of 10 aides interviewed by the Palace after a bullying complaint was made by the then head of communications Jason Knauf, in October 2018.

Originally published as Meghan Markle’s engagement ring sparks new debate as fans spot difference