Meghan Markle may have been all smiles in a recent picture with friends posted to Instagram, but she was lacking something notable in the post, aside from husband Prince Harry — her engagement ring.
The picture, uploaded to the social media platform’s Stories feature by the Highbrow Hippie wellness blog account, shows the Duchess of Sussex with friends Kadi Lee (co-founder of Highbrow Hippie) and poet Cleo Wade dining at a birthday meal. Meghan has her arms around the other women, and it is noticeable that her £156k engagement ring is missing from her left hand, though her wedding band is still visible. Some have speculated that the jewelry omission may be a purposeful hint toward the rumored discord in the marriage of the Sussexes.
READ MORE: Meghan Markle Is Reportedly ‘Plotting’ To Blame Divorce On Prince Harry If They Split
Meghan Markle Spotted On Social Media Without Engagement Ring
The expensive accessory has a long history in the royal family. The piece was made of two diamonds from a bracelet belonging to Harry's mother Princess Diana, which the Prince is said to have requested permission to use from his brother, Prince William. The £156k ring was first shown off to the world in 2017, when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's engagement was officially announced. It was soon joined by Meghan's wedding band, a pure Welsh gold piece from Cleave & Company, at the pair's wedding in May of 2018.
The band was present for the birthday pic, but the famous engagement ring was conspicuously not. Meghan, clad in a casual black vest top and a giant smile, can be clearly seen in the image sans engagement ring with her left hand right in view of the camera. The speculation-stirring snap was posted amid rumors that, following the fallout from the release of Prince Harry's memoir Spare, the couple's rollercoaster business journey in Hollywood, and the Prince's recent solo trip to Africa to film a documentary, all is not well with the royal duo — and, in fact, they may be heading for divorce after just 5 years of marriage.
Is Divorce In The Cards For The Sussexes?
We know that Meghan and Harry have been spending time apart, with her staying home with their children Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2, in Montecito California while he is currently touring in Asia. Though the rumors of an impending breakup have usually been quieted rather quickly, an insider reportedly told RadarOnline last month that the Sussexes really are “taking time apart” right now, and it’s because they want to try to heal their relationship.
"They're trying to figure out what hit them," the insider stated, referring to the pair's recent difficulties with their Archewell Productions media deals. "Harry doesn't fit in Meghan's tacky Tinseltown world," they added, saying he needs to "find himself." Could that be the real reason why Prince Harry flew to Japan and Singapore alone?
In any event, despite being left to mind the kids in CA, Meghan certainly seemed happy at her belated birthday dinner with friends. The former Suits actress was also spotted recently with Harry before he departed at an early birthday dinner in Montecito, and riding solo at night five of Taylor Swift's Reputation tour stop at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles earlier this month.
