Today the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a series of never-before-seen pics of themselves with elephants, assisting Elephants Without Borders in Botswana to mark World Elephant Day, but there was a special detail that almost went missed.
In one of the six images shared to the royal couple’s official Instagram account Sussex Royal, Meghan’s hands can be seen gently cradling an elephant’s trunk in a close-up image, but it was the jewellery she donned on her fingers and around her wrist that has people talking, as it’s been revealed a couple of them hold quite a special meaning.
The first piece of jewellery, a delicate ring which can be seen on her right thumb has been identified by Us Weekly as a Hand of Fatima ring, also known as hamsa.
The amulet is an ancient Middle Eastern and North African symbol that is a sign of protection and also said to bring blessings and protect against bad luck.
The particular ring Meghan wears is the Hamsa Ring from Turkish jewellery designer Kismet by Milka, which features a small sapphire in the ‘eye’ of the palm-shaped hamsa of the 14-carat rose-gold ring.
The delicate ring retails at NZD $465 and has in fact been seen worn by the Duchess before during a visit to the Royal Variety Charity’s nursing home in December 2018.
Look closely and you’ll spot the same Hamsa Ring on Meghan’s right middle finger during her visit to Royal Variety Charity’s nursing home in December 2018. (Image: Getty)
But it wasn’t just her ring that holds as hidden meaning, as the newly released image also shows a silver bracelet around her left wrist, which Hello! reports has an equally special significance.
The bracelet in question originates in Africa and is known as an elephant hair bracelet. While these days it’s seen as inhumane to use real elephant hair for the pieces of jewellery, and they’re often made from different materials, like the one Meghan wears, the meaning behind them still bares the same weight.
According to Hello! elephant bracelets are famous in Africa as the hair of an elephant is said to bring luck and the wearer of the bracelet is believed to be blessed with health, love, prosperity and progress.
Elephants feature heavily throughout mythology across Africa, and the majestic animals are seen to be the connecting factor between heaven and earth.
The bracelets can also feature either two, four, or six knots, each with its own significant meaning – even the fact that Meghan is wearing the bracelet on her left hand signifies that it has been gifted to her by someone special – perhaps Prince Harry?
Meghan and Harry shared this photograph earlier this year showing them attaching a satellite tracker to a bull elephant during a visit to Botswana. (Image: Instagram/@SussexRoyal)
It definitely would not be surprising, as Harry is well-known for helping to design multiple pieces of jewellery for Meghan, each of which hold incredibly heartfelt touches.
In June Duchess Meghan debuted a brand new ring during Trooping the Colour, which was later revealed to be an eternity ring gifted and designed by Harry himself.
Meghan’s three rings from top to bottom: her engagement ring, her wedding band, and her brand new eternity band. (Image: Getty)
The bespoke ring had an incredibly heartfelt connection to their new family, with Harry thoughtfully adding his, Meghan’s and baby Archie’s birthstones to the underside of the ring.
Of course, each birthstone is said to hold their own meaning – Harry’s sapphire is believed to protect those closer to you, Meghan’s green peridot is said to bring power to the wearer, while Archie’s green emerald is associated with love and rebirth.
Harry also designed Meghan’s engagement ring with the help of Cleave and Company, which features three diamonds – one from Botswana (a country close to the couple’s hearts), and two from his mother the late Diana, Princess of Wales’ personal collection.
