Meghan Markle's Engagement Ring Holds This Royal Family Record
The so-called "feud" between Meghan Markle and sister-in-law Kate Middleton has been whispered about for years. The former actor was generally believed to be the aggressor until, as Elle notes, Markle sat down for an interview with Oprah Winfrey, alongside husband Prince Harry, and set the record straight once and for all. Rumors had circled that Markle made Middleton cry in the run-up to her wedding but the "Suits" alum clarified it was actually the other way around. She admitted, "The narrative with Kate, which didn't happen, was really, really difficult and something that I think, that's when everything changed, really."
The Sussexes ultimately defected from the royal family due to intense press intrusion, much of which targeted Markle for having the gall to be an American, biracial divorcée. She was positioned as a bully despite the fact that, according to royal biography "Finding Freedom," there was no real issue between the two women; they simply never got that close. As authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand surmised, "Meghan would agree with the assessment that the duchesses were not the best of friends." Despite Markle's clarification, however, she and Middleton continue to be pitted against each other at every opportunity.
Funnily enough, the latest way in which the Duchess of Sussex has supposedly "beaten" her royal rival is once again wedding related.
Meghan Markle's engagement ring is easily the most searched royal ring overall
Fresh from their "Oprah with Meghan and Harry" interview breaking Google records for the year, Meghan Markle has set another record for searches thanks to her stunning engagement ring. According to Express, Markle's sparkler is the most searched for royal engagement ring by a long shot, beating the high-profile likes of Grace Kelly, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and, of course, her long-time frenemy Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. The ring is a six-carat, cushion cut featuring a diamond from Botswana, which also includes two smaller stones from Diana's personal jewelry collection. It was designed by her now-husband, Prince Harry, himself, and is worth an estimated £100,000 (approximately $134,000).
Search queries for Markle's ring are double those for the next most popular ring, Middleton's, which should further stoke the fires of their long-rumored rivalry. The Duchess of Cambridge's own ring has a 12-carat oval blue sapphire set amongst a halo of stunning diamonds. It previously belonged to Diana and was her own engagement ring from Prince Charles. Google searches for Markle's ring number an average of 20,000 per month compared to 8,2000 for Middleton's. Poor Princess Anne came dead last, with just 500 searches for her band. The study was conducted by Design Bundles, a spokesperson for whom pointed out, "There are fewer rarer and more coveted pieces of jewelry in the world than royal engagement rings."