Prince Harry's 'selfless' sacrifice for Kate Middleton ahead of her wedding

Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Prince William
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Harry sacrificed something incredibly special for Kate Middleton, ahead of her wedding to Prince William, so that Princess Diana could be part of their engagement.

Today marks ten years since Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding and the Cambridge couple released two gorgeous official portraits to mark the decade milestone.

Prince William popped the question while he and Kate were on holiday in Kenya in 2010 and Prince Harry actually made a sweet sacrifice for Kate when she and William got engaged.

The sapphire and diamond ring that William, who is second in the royal line of succession, gave to Kate when he proposed is the same ring that Prince Charles gave to Princess Diana when they got engaged.

Prince William and Kate Middleton engagement

Credit: Getty

When Princess Diana died in 1997, the stunning piece of jewellery was given to her youngest son Prince Harry, while William was given a gold Cartier watch from her collection.

When Prince William came to ask Kate to marry him, Harry gave his brother Diana's ring, instead of saving it for his own future wife, in a sweet act of kindness.

This meant that the late Princess Diana could be part of Kate and William's love story in an incredibly special way.

Princess Diana and Prince Charles engagement

Credit: Getty

Speaking in Amazon Prime's The Diana Story, Princess Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, claimed, "Harry said to his brother, wouldn't it be fitting if she had mummy’s ring? Then one day that ring will be sat on the throne of England."

Speaking of the Duke of Sussex's "selfless' gesture, that he claims is a reflection of Diana's nature in Harry, Paul added, "Harry gave up his precious treasure.

"The one thing he kept from his mother, he gave to his brother. That's selfless, kind and exactly who Diana was."

The iconic ring is set in 18K white gold and features a 12-carat oval blue sapphire surrounded by fourteen solitaire diamonds.

While Harry was unable to give Meghan Markle his inherited ring due to his sacrifice for Kate, he did present her with a engagement ring with a connection to Diana.

Harry designed her engagement ring himself, mixing two diamonds from his mother's collection with a centre stone from Botswana, where the couple spent time together in the early days of their romance.

Kudzai Chibaduki
Features Writer

Kudzai Chibaduki joined Future as a trainee news writer for Good To, writing about fashion, entertainment, and beauty. She's now a freelance fashion wardrobe stylist and helps direct magazine photoshoots.