As Meghan Markle and Prince Harry engagement rumours swirl – which RING will he choose?

At 32 years old, Harry is a the perfect age to settle down and start a family, and having been married once before, Meghan is clearly not shy of commitment.

But if he does propose, which ring will Harry present to his potential bride-to-be?

Being a member of the Royal Family, Harry has access to some of the most coveted jewels in the world including the former engagement rings of Royal Family members.

The most sentimental ring for the Prince would be the magnificent sapphire and diamond Garrard creation his mother Prince Diana chose on her engagement to Prince Charles – but of course, this is already taken, having been presented to the then Kate Middleton by Harry’s brother William.

The Queen Mother, who passed away in 2002, had two engagement rings. The first was a large sapphire set in Welsh gold, which she eventually replaced with a pearl surrounded by diamonds in the 1950s.

These rings are presumed to have been returned to the Royal Vaults on her death – but Meghan may find them both too old-fashioned for her taste, and the sapphire is possibly too similar to Kate’s ring to be chosen.

Another American who made her way into the Royal Family – in much less happy circumstances – was Wallis Simpson.

Edward VIII got down on one knee with a 19.77-carat emerald ring engraved with the words “We are ours now 27 X 36”, which is the date he proposed.

But the ring was sold in 1987 for £1.8million to a Japanese businessmen, so even if in the unlikely event this was the ring Meghan would have wanted, it is not available to her.

The Queen wears an impressive square-cut diamond designed by Prince Phillip using diamonds from his mother’s tiara – and Her Majesty still wears the jewels every day, so they will definitely not be seen on Meghan’s finger.

Princess Margaret was presented with a ring described as “a ruby set like a rosebud with a diamond marguerite” by Anthony Armstrong-Jones. The unusual ring is also presumed returned to the Royal Vaults and possibly one option Harry could offer his girlfriend.

Currently the most lavish ring in the Royal Collection belongs to the Duchess of Cornwall, whose Art Deco stunner once belonged to the Queen Mother.

At the time of her engagement, it was said to be valued at £100,000, and was thought to have originally been given to the Queen Mother on the birth of Elizabeth.

This is certainly the ring that Meghan will have to compete with if and when her engagement comes – and one expert thinks that the clean and classic styling of the Art Deco period is most likely what Meghan will opt for.

Lorna Haddon, diamond ring and jewellery buyer at Beaverbrooks the Jewellers, commented: “Meghan has an impressive jewellery collection and isn’t afraid to stand out from the crowd with a range of eye-catching pieces.

“Her jewellery choices really emphasise her unique fashion sense and style, and she is often spotted wearing stacking rings, contrasting metals and quirky designs.

“I think Harry will opt for a unique design to align with Meghan’s individuality – something similar in style to our Platinum Diamond Marquise Ring.

“Meghan is also known to be a fan of statement pieces, so a ring featuring a halo of brilliant diamonds around a central stone would create the perfect eye-catching piece for a proposal from the prince.”

Commenting on the fact the Royal Family often opts for coloured stones, Lorna continued: “Another option for Harry would be to follow in his brother’s footsteps and choose a piece from his mother’s precious collection. Meghan is rumoured to share Princess Diana’s love of coloured stones, so there’s a chance Harry might create a bespoke design for the ring.

“I think the most likely option would be for him to take a central coloured gem such as an emerald or a coloured diamond from one of Diana’s necklaces and surrounded it with a cluster of brilliant diamonds.” There were rumours Harry is planning to use stones from one of his mother’s tiaras earlier this year for an engagement ring, although this has not been confirmed or denied by the Palace.

Lorna also thought that Harry could avoid coloured stones altogether and follow in the footsteps of other young royals such as Zara Tindall and Autumn Phillips and stick with a plain diamond.

She said: “He could also choose to use one of his mother’s precious diamonds to create a timeless but very personal solitaire diamond ring.

“Something simple but striking like a Platinum Diamond Solitaire Ring would work perfectly and allow her to stack it neatly with her wedding ring.

“Whatever he decides on, I’m sure the loved-up prince’s choice will become a must-have design for future proposals – so we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for the first glance!”