Why Meghan Markle Ditched Her Engagement Ring And Wore Recycled Dresses In South Africa

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are currently in South Africa for their first royal tour with Baby Archie Harrison. While royal fans were elated to see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visit their land, they couldn’t help but notice an important ring missing from Meghan’s finger: her engagement ring.

As soon as Prince Harry and Meghan touched down in Cape Town, South Africa, on Monday, royal followers were quick to notice that the Duchess was not wearing her engagement ring. Since she got married to Prince Harry, Meghan has always worn this ring, along with her eternity ring, during her public outings.

Considering that their South African tour is their first royal tour as a family since Meghan gave birth in May, it’s a puzzle for many why Meghan opted not to wear the important accessory on her finger. Instead of wearing her engagement and eternity rings, the Duchess of Sussex opted to wear a gold wedding band and a Jennifer turquoise marquise ring to accessorize her hand.

According to a source, Meghan has intentionally removed her engagement ring from her finger as they kicked off their 10-day tour to South Africa. The duchess reportedly wanted to be low key as she meets the people of South Africa, who are known for being generally impoverished.

Aside from ditching her engagement ring, Meghan also deliberately wore recycled dresses on her first day in South Africa. This also caught the eyes of royal fans, who normally look forward to Duchess Meghan and Duchess Kate’s outfits when they’re on royal tours.

The dresses that Meghan wore on the first day of their South African tour were recycled dresses from last year’s royal tour, when she was still pregnant with Archie. The fact that she wore them while she was pregnant last year also sparked speculations that she might actually be pregnant with her second child.

During the first leg of their South African royal tour, Meghan spoke before a crowd of South Africans about her black heritage. “On one personal note, may I just say that while I am here with my husband as a member of the royal family, I want you to know that for me, I am here as a mother, as a wife, as a woman, as a woman of color, and as your sister,” she said, drawing applause from the crowd.