Meghan Markle did not wear £156,000 engagement ring for drinks with friends

Meghan Markle, 42, recently met up with two of her friends for belated birthday drinks, but she was not wearing her engagement ring from Prince Harry.

The actress decided not to wear her £156,000 engagement ring for her day out at an undisclosed restaurant.

After the couple’s engagement six years ago, Harry gifted Meghan the sparkler, but when she was spotted without it some royal fans wondered if there was a reason for this.

The Duchess of Sussex’s diamond ring was swapped out for an unassuming gold band while out to dinner with her friends Kadi Lee and Cleo Wade.

It turns out that there was no scandalous reason for this. A source told Page Six that Meghan is simply “getting her ring fixed,” and that is the “real reason” why her engagement ring was missing.

A source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex rubbished any split rumours as a result of Meghan not wearing her engagement ring.

They told Page Six: “It’s not true, it’s literally made up.”

With two small stones from his late mother Princess Diana’s collection and one larger diamond from Botswana, the breathtaking ring was created specifically for Meghan.

Harry personally designed the ring with the assistance of Cleave and Company’s finest jewellery specialists.

The Duke of Sussex told the BBC during a post-engagement interview: “The ring is yellow gold, because that’s [her] favourite, and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana.

“The little diamonds on either side are from my mother’s jewellery collection to make sure that she’s with us on this — on this crazy journey together.”

Meghan called the rock “incredible,” explaining: “Everything about Harry’s thoughtfulness and the inclusion of [Princess Diana’s stones] and obviously not being able to meet his mum, it’s so important to me to know that she’s a part of this with us.”

The former Suits actress has changed her ring over time. After the birth of their first child, Prince Archie, now four, the sparkler’s original yellow gold ring was replaced with a thinner pavé setting.