Prince Harry Has Worn the Same Bracelets for 20 Years and There’s a Reason for That
We know the women in the royal family wear jewelry with a sentimental meaning, such as the ring the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) wears that once belonged to the late Princess Diana.
But it’s not just the ladies, some of the royal men have sported jewelry that holds a special meaning to them as well like King Charles’ signet ring, which signifies his role as the Prince of Wales that he was committed to for more than 60 years. And his son, Prince Harry, has been wearing the same bracelets for more than two decades.
Now, someone who used to work for the family is sharing the story behind the Duke of Sussex’s bangles.
Grant Harrold was King Charles’ butler for seven years. During his time working for the now-monarch, Harrold’s duties included those of valet, housekeeper, house manager, and driver. He also looked after Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate whenever they stayed at Highgrove House. Since leaving the royal household, he’s become one of the U.K.’s leading etiquette experts, a best-selling author, and a royal commentator.
Speaking on behalf of Slots Temple, Harrold told Showbiz Cheat Sheet, “Prince Harry’s bracelets have become a staple part of his look, and we’ve seen the same sentimental pieces on his wrists for over 20 years. The silver-and-black bracelet in particular, has been an almost permanent fixture for decades. We’ve seen it at countless big events over the years, including his wedding.”
The former royal butler continued, “The silver piece has a real significant meaning, as he got it when he visited Africa shortly after his mother, Princess Diana died. William used to have a similar one. I would say these bangles were given as gifts during the trip. He has spoken about how when he was in Africa, he was at peace. It was time away from all of his usual royal chaos and a time to reflect.
“The bangles give him a connection to Africa, which is a memory he looks back on fondly. There are also bracelets he wears, but he swaps some of them in and out. I actually gifted him one for his 21st birthday when I was working with the family. The brand was Patrick Mavros, a luxury African brand. At the time, he was really wearing his bangles. He wore this bangle for years. Chelsy Davy was also gifting these to him over the years as she was from Zimbabwe.”
Harrold also shared that Meghan has donned a similar one, which became one of the biggest clues that the pair were dating back in 2016, saying, “Another piece all the time is a blue, white, and black beaded bracelet. It’s a different style to the others, but it wears it a lot, so it’s clearly equally special. And what’s really interesting about this is it was one of the first ‘secret signs’ that he was dating Meghan Markle.
“She was seen wearing an almost identical bracelet during a meeting with Justin Trudeau. We know Harry had already taken her to Botswana at this point, so my guess would be that she got the matching bracelet then. This tie to Meghan just adds another layer of meaning and sentimental value to the pieces for Harry.”
