From Botswana to Buckingham Palace: The Journey of Meghan Markle’s Engagement Ring

In just a few days, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will celebrate their marriage, enthralling the world with the romance, ceremony and fanfare of another royal wedding. On such a special occasion there will be glitz and glamour, and naturally, diamonds.

The diamonds that formalized their relationship tell a special story. Prince Harry proposed to Ms. Markle with a classically beautiful three-stone engagement ring — a large cushion-shaped center diamond, flanked by two smaller diamonds inherited from his mother, Princess Diana. According to diamond expert Grant Mobley, the stunning center stone is a three- to four-carat flawless diamond. While the gem is dazzling on its own, its origin story is what makes it truly symbolic and significant.

The story begins more than 50 years ago in the southern African country of Botswana, when geologists discovered diamonds in the Kalahari Desert. At the time, Botswana was one of the world’s poorest countries. Since that discovery, Botswana has emerged as the second largest diamond producer in the world, and has been the world’s third fastest growing economy over the past five decades. It has transformed from a country with only six miles of paved roads to one with more than 7,000 today. Every child receives free primary and secondary education, and there are now more than 300 secondary schools across the country.

Equally impressive is Botswana’s commitment to good governance, transparency and political stability. In 2017, it ranked in the top 18 percent of nations on Transparency International’s annual index. And on the annual Global Peace Index, produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace, Botswana consistently ranks among the world’s most peaceful countries, another impressive testament to a vibrant and committed democracy.

This unique and beautiful country has held a special place in Prince Harry’s life, beginning when he was a child. Following the tragic death of his mother, Botswana became a personal refuge for him. He warmly refers to Botswana as the place “where I feel more like myself than anywhere else in the world.” He has returned many times over the years, most recently with his fiancée to celebrate her birthday, and it was also where he took her for their first vacation together.

As part of his proposal, Prince Harry personally designed the engagement ring. For the side stones, the prince selected a pair of matching diamonds from his mother’s collection — a lasting tribute to the late Princess Diana. With those secured, he looked for a center diamond with beauty and emotional significance to complement the others. This led him to selecting the center diamond from Botswana — a place of deep emotional value for the couple. The ring he designed is a one-of-a-kind symbol of the people and places most dear to him.

Those diamonds — and the stories they carry — are deserving recipients of the royal limelight.