Meghan Markle wears Princess Diana’s aquamarine ring to New York gala

Meghan Markle added a glittering tribute to the late Princess Diana to her red carpet look as she stepped out to accept an ‘anti-racism’ award with Prince Harry in New York City this evening. 

The 41-year-old donned a custom-made Louis Vuitton gown, which featured a daring thigh-high split and an off-the-shoulder neckline – and which bore an uncanny resemblance to the design worn by the Princess of Wales at the Earthshot Gala in Boston last week. 

However, while Meghan’s dress certainly took center stage at the event, her outfit also featured a rather special piece of jewelry: a large aquamarine ring that once belonged to the late Princess of Wales. 

It is not the first time that the Duchess has worn the emerald-cut ring, which was commissioned by Diana from British jewelry brand Asprey in the 1990s and is estimated to be worth a staggering $90,000. 

Meghan Markle added a glittering tribute to the late Princess Diana to her red carpet look as she stepped out to accept an ‘anti-racism’ award with Prince Harry in New York this evening

The 41-year-old was seen sporting a large aquamarine ring that once belonged to Harry’s late mother – and which Meghan also wore on the couple’s wedding day

 Meghan flashed the ring on the red carpet at the Ripple of Hope Gala, where she and Harry, 38, are being honored with a human rights award

Princess Diana commissioned the ring from British jeweler Asprey in the 1990s and was seen wearing it on a number of occasions, including at a June 1997 reception (pictured)

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She was seen sporting the design for the first time at her May 2018 wedding reception at Frogmore Cottage, flashing a glimpse of the design as she waved at the cameras.

Meghan then wore the design for a second time during the Sussexes’ royal tour in Tonga in October of that same year.

Princess Diana first wore the stunning ring in 1996 during a trip to Australia, and she was pictured wearing the ring at a private viewing and reception at Christies in aid of the Aid Crisis Trust in 1997.

It is not the only piece of jewelry that Harry is thought to have given to his wife over the years. The Duchess’s engagement ring was made using two diamonds that once belonged to Diana, which Harry paired with a larger stone from Botswana – where the couple enjoyed one of their earliest getaways. 

Shortly after their engagement, Prince Harry spoke out about the design process behind the ring, explaining that he had chosen each element in order to ensure that it fit his future bride’s tastes perfectly.

‘The ring is obviously yellow gold because that’s [Meghan’s] favorite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana and the little diamonds either side are from my mother’s jewelry collection, to make sure that she’s with us on this crazy journey together,’ he said.

Diana also wore the aquamarine during a trip to Australia in October 1996

Meghan first wore the blue stone at the Sussexes’ wedding reception in May 2018

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She wore the stunning ring for a second time during the couple’s trip to Tonga in October 2018

Meghan called it ‘incredible’, explaining: ‘Everything about Harry’s thoughtfulness and the inclusion of [Princess Diana’s stones] and obviously not being able to meet his mom, it’s so important to me to know that she’s a part of this with us.

‘It’s incredibly special to be able to have this [ring], which sort of links where you come from and Botswana, which is important to us. It’s perfect.’

Meghan has also previously been seen wearing a $23,000 gold Cartier Tank Française watch that was owned by Harry’s mother. 

Meghan’s latest appearance on the red carpet at tonight’s Ripple of Hope Gala comes just one day after Meghan and Harry released an incendiary trailer for their upcoming Netflix docuseries, which contained footage of Diana being hounded by the press. 

The latest trailer contained footage of Princess Diana, Meghan and the new Princess of Wales all surrounded by photographers, as Harry spoke of ‘the pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution’.

He appeared to reference the death of his mother as he added: ‘I was terrified. I didn’t want history to repeat itself.’

The trailer gave the strongest signal yet that the Sussexes will seek to re-open old wounds as they try to justify Megxit, with Harry claiming they suffered from leaks and planted stories that backed up the royal ‘hierarchy’.

Harry also took aim at royal aides, smirking as he commented, ‘It’s a dirty game’, while an ally of the California-based couple provocatively claiming there had been a ‘war’ against Meghan since she entered the Royal Family. 

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The ring could also be seen on Meghan’s finger as she climbed out of the couple’s SUV after arriving at the venue in midtown Manhattan

Meghan and Harry are attending the Ripple of Hope Gala – an event for which tickets were being sold for up to $1 million each – to accept a human rights award from the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation, a prize that counts Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton among its former recipients. 

Meghan went all out with her ensemble for the evening, opting to wear a custom-made form-fitting white Louis Vuitton gown that left her shoulders completely exposed, and also featured a racy thigh-high split that flashed her lean legs as she strutted through the Manhattan rain. 

She paired the look with a boxy black clutch and long gold earrings, while her brunette locks were slicked back into a low bun, allowing her glamorous makeup look to shine through. 

Despite the cold and rainy conditions in New York, Meghan appeared to go without any tights – and she opted not to wear a coat, instead showing off her bare shoulders as she strutted into the Hilton Midtown Hotel. 

Once inside, the couple made a very quick dash down the red carpet, failing to pause or speak to photographers, instead just flashing smiles at the cameras before heading into the gala dinner, which is being emceed by Alec Baldwin.