The Duke of Sussex was Prince William's ring-bearer in 2011

Prince Harry’s ‘solemn duty’ he couldn’t mess up at William and Kate’s wedding

Being the ring bearer at any wedding is a huge responsibility, but at Prince William’s wedding the Duke of Sussex had the additional burden of having the entire world watching him.

Harry stated that even though he wasn’t William’s designated best man at the Prince and Princess of Wales’ wedding in April 2011, he took the “solemn duty” of safeguarding his and Catherine’s wedding rings very seriously.

 

The Prince and Princess of Wales got married in April 2011
Photo: Getty Images

He was so focused on doing his job that he even devised a foolproof plan to ensure it went off without a hitch, which included a secret compartment hidden inside his black military uniform.

Harry admitted in his book Spare that he joked about losing the rings before admitting why that wasn’t possible in an effort to allay the groom’s pre-wedding nerves as he prepared to exchange vows with Princess Catherine at Westminster Abbey.

“Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t have lost that ring. Inside my tunic was a special kangaroo pouch that had been stitched. Actually, that was my idea—how seriously I took the serious responsibility and honor of carrying it.

 

The Duke of Sussex revealed his military outfit had a special compartment for the rings  Photo: Getty Images

 

“The ring was now removed from its pouch, and I held it up to the light. A small portion of Welsh gold that had been part of a larger piece given to the Royal Family almost a century earlier. The same hunk had given Granny and Princess Margaret rings when they got married, but I had heard that it was now almost worn out.

“There might be none left by the time I got married, if I ever got married,” he wrote.

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Harry was referring to the traditional Welsh gold nugget from the Clogau mine, which the Queen Mother had established in 1923, that was used to make the royal family’s gold wedding bands. Princess Anne, the late Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales, and the Duchess of Sussex are among those who also used the same gold in their bands. The sentimental rings were not only worn by the late Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.

 

Princess Kate (pictured above) as well as the late Queen Elizabeth, the Duchess of Sussex and more have Welsh gold wedding rings  Photo: Getty Images

 

Obviously, this means that when Prince Harry and his wife got married in May 2018, there was enough for her. Prior to the couple’s royal nuptials, the Palace made the following announcement: “Ms. Markle’s ring has been fashioned from a piece of Welsh Gold, gifted by Her Majesty The Queen. Prince Harry’s ring will be a Platinum Band with a textured finish. Both rings were crafted in the Cleave workshop.”

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