Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding rings

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding rings

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding rings have been revealed. 

Harry's ring will be a platinum band with a textured finish and his bride-to-be Meghan's has been fashioned from a piece of Welsh gold, Kensington Palace has announced.

They have both been made by Cleave and Company and will be brought to the service by Harry's brother and best man, Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge

The Palace said in a statement: 'Prince Harry and Ms Meghan Markle have chosen Cleave and Company to make their Wedding rings. 

'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.

'The rings will be carried to St George's Chapel on the day of the Wedding by The Duke of Cambridge, in his capacity as Best Man.'

Royal brides are traditionally given wedding rings made from gold nuggets from Clogau St David's mine at Bontddu in North Wales - although few men in the monarchy have chosen to put on a wedding band. 

Cleave and Company are the official Royal jewellers based at Buckingham Palace.

They also designed Meghan Markle's engagement ring, with the help of Prince Harry who asked for the gold band to be adorned with a central diamond from Botswana, where the pair recently went on holiday, and two others from Diana's collection. 

Cleave count the Palace offices, governments, civil and military institutions of around 40 countries among their clients. They work in gold silver and precious stones.   

They designed the Order of the Garter and the St. Michael and St. George's Cross.

Abroad they have designed the Royal Baton for the head of Tonga, the Presentation Sword for the state of Qatar and medals for the Republic of Rwanda. 

When the Duke of Cambridge married, he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh and uncle the Duke of York who both chose not to wear the symbol of marriage.

The custom of men wearing wedding rings is said to be relatively recent and is believed to have started during the Second World War when servicemen wanted a memento to remind them of their partners back home.

Its popularity increased as the decades passed and as it became more fashionable for men to wear jewellery.

In contrast to other royal men, the Prince of Wales does wear a wedding band, under a signet ring on the little finger of his left hand.

The Queen Mother began the tradition of royal wedding rings being made from Welsh gold after the precious metal was used to make her wedding band when she married in 1923.

One nugget of gold was used to make the Queen Mother's wedding ring, the Queen's in 1947, Princess Margaret's in 1960, the Princess Royal's in 1973 and that of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1981.

The Duchess of Cornwall's wedding ring was also crafted from Welsh gold from the Clogau St David's mine and the river Mawddach in the King's Forest.