The pro analyzed the Duchess of Sussex’s reactions and mannerisms during the couple’s engagement interview in November 2017.

Meghan Markle’s engagement ring is one of the most iconic of our time—and has been a hot topic over the last year. The Duchess of Sussex was seen without the three-stone piece, which features diamonds from the late Princess Diana’s collection, for the majority of 2023, and made headlines when she finally wore it again during a film premier in January 2024. Though some speculated that the bauble’s center stone appeared larger after the hiatus, there were no other visible upgrades or changes—but the engagement ring Meghan wears today technically isn’t the same one Prince Harry gave her when he got down on one knee in their old cottage.

The Duchess of Sussex has made some adjustments, most notably swapping out the original yellow gold band for a thinner pavé setting and basket, which she debuted after presenting her son, Archie, to the world shortly after his birth in 2019. The reason for these changes? It’s possible that she simply didn’t like the original one (a feeling many women experience after they’re proposed to!). Body language expert Judi James told Express.co.uk that Meghan actually alluded to these qualms during an interview with the BBC‘s Mishal Husain shortly after their engagement.

GETTY IMAGES / ANWAR HUSSEIN / CONTRIBUTOR

The expert pointed to an interesting gesture Meghan made after she was asked by Mishal to share more about the ring’s story. “When the interviewer asks, ‘Tell us about your ring,’ Meghan looks down with a smile but then looks up at Harry to deflect the question to him,” James told the outlet, noting that this “deflection” is a sign of discomfort. “This is despite the fact that it seems to have been asked of her.”

The Real Reason Why Meghan Markle Hasn’t Been Wearing Her Engagement Ring

At this moment, she also didn’t move forward to show off the ring; she kept it tucked on top of her future husband’s hand (and partially out of view), instead. “Her ring hand is placed on top of their handclasp. This is so that the ring is visible, but without being totally displayed,” notes the expert. According to James, Prince Harry’s body language at this moment was also telling—and indicated that he was really the driving force behind the piece’s vision. “It’s Harry who picks her ring finger up to show it as he describes what it is made from, like a QVC salesman,” she adds.

GETTY IMAGES /MAX MUMBY/INDIGO / CONTRIBUTOR

Just because the Duchess of Sussex potentially wasn’t thrilled with the design, however, doesn’t mean that the ring wasn’t incredibly meaningful to her, James notes. “She re-activates and looks up at the interviewer when Harry tells her that there are diamonds from his mother’s collection there,” says James. “Meghan’s body language response suggests it’s the emotional message that clearly affects and moves her more than the ring itself.”

According to James, Meghan rubbed Harry’s hand while he touched on how he sourced and created the proposal piece with his mom in mind, indicating that the Diana connection is “the most important” element of all to Meghan. “The ring is obviously yellow gold because that’s her favorite and the main stone itself I sourced from Botswana, and the little diamonds [on] either side are from my mother’s jewelry collection, to make sure that she’s with us on this crazy journey together,” Harry said, prompting Meghan’s emotional response.