During her visit to Nigeria, Meghan Markle showcased a new necklace that sparked speculation about its origins, with many suggesting it might have come from Princess Diana's jewelry collection.
The diamond cross necklace adorned Meghan's neck as she attended a reception for military families in Abuja, catching the sunlight and drawing significant attention from royal observers. This revelation puzzled many, as there are no documented instances of Diana wearing such a necklace. According to the New York Post, Meghan received the necklace as a gift from her husband, Prince Harry, who inherited it along with other pieces from his late mother's private collection.
A source close to the couple emphasized the gesture's significance, stating that a gift from Harry that once belonged to his mother holds deep meaning and is not lost on Meghan. Despite this assertion, doubts lingered among some insiders. Picture editors from various newspapers were unable to locate any images of Princess Diana wearing the necklace in public. "No, I didn't recognize this at all," said one insider who worked closely with Diana.
In fact, Diana was very professional and generally avoided wearing religious motifs of any kind because they had the potential to offend people. "She'd never usually wear such a thing," the insider added. Another person, described as a London socialite, remarked, "Meghan likes to curate her jewelry to tell a certain story. I find it hard to believe that she's been sitting on this necklace for five years."
Princess Diana, who tragically passed away at the age of 37 in August 1997, was seldom seen wearing a cross in public, despite being one of the most photographed women globally for over 16 years. On one occasion, while embracing HIV-positive children in São Paulo, Brazil, in April 1991, Diana wore a gold cross necklace that garnered attention when a baby reached out to touch it. She later donated this necklace to a charity auction scheduled for September 1997, but it was subsequently placed in storage and later sold to an Australian collector.
The only other instance where Diana was seen wearing a cross was when she borrowed the Italic Cross, crafted by royal jeweler Garrard in 1920, from a friend, businessman Naim Attallah, for a charity event in London in October 1987. This cross was auctioned off in January 2023, fetching nearly $200,000 when purchased by Kim Kardashian.
Following Diana's passing, her entire jewelry collection was bequeathed to her sons, William and Harry. However, there remains some mystery surrounding alterations made to her will by her executors. Initially, the will designated three-quarters of her physical possessions to her sons, with the remaining quarter to be shared among her 17 godchildren. Ultimately, each godchild received just one keepsake.
This modification may have been influenced by a letter from Diana, which surfaced during the trial of her former butler, Paul Burrell, who was accused of theft from her residence. The trial was terminated when Queen Elizabeth recalled that Burrell had been granted permission to retrieve specific items, excluding jewelry. Diana's letter to her executor stated, "I'd like you to allocate all of my jewelry to the share to be held by my sons so that their wives may, in due course, have it or use it. I leave the exact division of the jewelry to your discretion."
