When Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010, he did so with a truly iconic piece of royal jewellery: The same sapphire engagement ring that had belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana. This is common knowledge among royal fans. What’s less common knowledge? Apparently, Diana’s ring wasn’t actually Will’s to give.
According to a new report from The Sun, Will’s younger brother, Prince Harry, was actually the person who inherited the iconic ring. Apparently, when Diana died in 1997, Harry was allowed to select his favourite piece from their mum’s jewellery collection—and he selected the sapphire engagement ring.
In the Amazon Prime documentary The Diana Story, Princess Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, explained that even though the ring officially belonged to Harry, the young royal selflessly offered it to Will when he was preparing to propose to Kate—even though it meant he wouldn’t be able to give the ring to his own future wife, Meghan Markle.
“Harry said to him: ‘Wouldn’t it be fitting if she had mummy’s ring?'” Burrell explains in the documentary. “Then one day that ring will be sat on the throne of England. Harry gave up his precious treasure. His one thing he kept from his mother, he gave to his brother. That’s selfless, kind and exactly who Diana was.”
No, you’re crying.
This article originally appeared on marie claire US.
