Over the summer, numerous media outlets made note of the fact that Meghan Markle had stopped wearing her engagement ring.
Naturally, several tabloids took this as evidence of trouble in Meghan’s marriage to Prince Harry, but that explanation doesn’t quite add up.
After all, Meghan is still wearing her wedding band, and there’s been no other clear evidence of difficulty within her relationship.
But if all is well on the Harry front, why did Meghan suddenly stop sporting such an important piece of jewelry?
A spokesperson for the Sussexes claimed that the ring was being repaired, but that doesn’t explain why it’s been absent from Meghan’s finger for nearly two months.
It’s hard to believe that simple repairs to such a high profile ring could take so long.
Even supporters of the Sussexes have admitted that it seems as though the couple hasn’t been totally forthcoming about the ring situation.
Now, after months of rumors and speculation, a credible explanation from a reliable source has finally emerged.
Laura Taylor is one of the UK’s foremost experts on diamond jewelry, and she offered a theory this week about the real reason for the disappearance of Meghan’s engagement ring.
Taylor noted that the stones in the ring are from Princess Diana’s private collection, and she said it’s “understandable” that Meghan might be a bit paranoid about losing or damaging the ring, especially given the current tensions between the Sussexes and the rest of the royals.
“Meghan may be keeping the ring safe to avoid losing Diana’s diamonds, knowing that if they were misplaced it would put an even bigger strain on the relationship between the two families,” Taylor told GB News.
The jeweler added that famous people are “always a target for thieves,” which is why Meghan may have stashed the ring during her recent travels.
“Considering the intense public focus on the ring lately, I believe that the absence of her engagement ring is now a deliberate choice,” Taylor concluded.
Harry and Meghan have been on the move quite a lot in recent weeks, first traveling to Dusseldorf for the Invictus Games — the annual athletic competition for wounded veterans that Harry helped to found in 2014.
From there, the Sussexes headed to Portugal for a romantic getaway.
Last week, Harry and Meghan traveled to New York City to host a summit on mental health, and then it was off to the Caribbean for a brief respite before heading home to Montecito.
It makes sense that Meghan would want to keep the ring safe by leaving it at home during such a hectic travel season.
Although, as many have already pointed out, Meghan was first spotted without the ring back in August, well before she embarked on her current globe-trotting tour.
We might never have an answer that will satisfy everyone but for now, at least there’s a partial explanation for ring-gate.