This is a girl-on-girl phenomenon. Currently in the “is she ... isn’t she?” social media crosshairs is the Duchess of Sussex. Meghan has been spotted sans bling. Let me repeat into my secure wireless headset, the Duchess is sans bling.
Eating lunch with friends and yet her $300,000 three-stone diamond engagement ring signally failed to make an appearance. What could it mean?
Are the gems being polished? The band being resized? Is she telling the world via paparazzi lenses that her marriage over? No prizes for guessing what social media thinks (hopes) is the most likely explanation.
But here’s the thing; maybe, just maybe, Meghan is simply very cross with Harry. No biggie. Well, big enough to take off her ring but not so big as to put the kibosh on the couple’s schmaltzy Meet Me at the Lake film currently in production for worldwide streaming.
Love stories are big business; Netflix absolutely does not want it spoilt by bitter Exflix headlines. So think on that.
I’m not judging your motivations. Taking off a ring is a bit of a statement – a statement which, in my case, nobody noticed. Especially not my husband. For three and a half years.
Why did I remove it? And fling it away? Because he was being not just a little annoying, but a lot and a lot and a lot. Then I couldn’t find it again. Out of curiosity, I waited for him to react in dismay.
He did not; which might give some clue as to why I threw it away in the first place. Eventually (close your eyes all you over-sensitive brides-to-be), in the course of a row, I was reduced to yelling “and I haven’t worn my wedding ring for years”.
To which he replied, with genuinely tender concern: “Oh dear, what happened?” I told him. He took me to a jeweller’s shop and ordered me a pretty gold ring inset with diamonds. It was very definitely an upgrade on the original silver one bought in a hurry for less than 20 quid.
I was touched. I wore it with delight. I took it off one day – not even in anger, I’d like to state for the record – and I lost that one too. I was horrified and secretly called upon the services of a dowser to try to find it but despite telling me very specifically it was in a bedside drawer of my sister’s guest room in Ireland, it has never materialised.
I told my husband. We agreed I couldn’t be trusted with nice things. I no longer wear any ring.
So Meghan, if you did take it off for whatever reason and have lost your Markle sparkle, you are not alone.
Just ‘fess up to Harry. He’ll definitely buy you a new one as it’s a first offence, the whole ‘is she... isn’t she” speculation will stop and Harmony (see what I did there?) will be well and truly restored.
