Meghan Markle Celebrates Birthday With Joyful Pool Jump Photos

Meghan Markle celebrated her 45th birthday with a playful splash, sharing new social media photos of herself leaping into an outdoor pool while thanking fans “for the birthday love.” On Instagram, the Duchess of Sussex posted two black-and-white images showing her in a swimsuit, sunglasses and a ponytail, clutching a large bunch of balloons as she jumped into the water. Her lifestyle brand, As Ever, also marked the occasion with a tribute to its founder, posting a photo of Meghan in a striped Céline designer shirt and white Anine Bing “Brie” jeans. The brand’s birthday post included a sweet throwback image of a young Meghan in pigtails and a white turtleneck, sitting in what appears to be her childhood bedroom. “Happy birthday to our founder, @meghan. Lighting No. 084 to celebrate!” the caption read, referring to one of As Ever’s candles, which was pictured alongside other products in a four-photo birthday carousel. The celebrations came just days after Meghan highlighted her impressive jewellery collection in fresh promotional footage for the brand.

On Sunday, Meghan shared the recipe for her “favourite ice cream sundae,” layering her raspberry spread in a glass with vanilla ice cream, crumbled shortbread and flower sprinkles. But while the dessert was the focus of the clip, royal watchers were quick to notice the glittering rings on display as she assembled it. Prince Harry’s wife wore her wedding band alongside a striking pear-shaped diamond ring, estimated to be worth $250,000 and previously described by jewellery experts as “an engagement ring upgrade.” She also appeared to wear a new, unidentified gold band on her right hand, as well as Princess Diana’s Cartier Tank Française watch, valued at £17,800 ($24,020), which was given to her after she married the Duke of Sussex. Meghan also had on her £2,370 ($3,197) Jennifer Meyer mini bezel tennis bracelet, handcrafted from polished 18-carat yellow gold and designed by Tobey Maguire’s ex-wife. Yet one significant piece was missing from the otherwise dazzling display: the Duchess’s £120,000 ($161,922) engagement ring. The former Suits star is believed not to have worn the ring for more than four months, with her last photographed appearance in it reportedly taking place in February 2026 at an NBA game in California.

Harry proposed to Meghan in 2017 with a bespoke ring designed by Cleave & Company, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s regular jeweller. To ensure the fit was right, the prince is said to have discreetly taken a ring from Meghan’s jewellery box for sizing. In a deeply personal tribute to his late mother, Princess Diana, he also asked the jewellers to use diamonds taken from one of Diana’s bracelets. Since the proposal at Nottingham Cottage, the engagement ring is believed to have undergone four alterations.

Meghan first drew attention to a changed version of the ring at Trooping the Colour in June 2019, when she appeared wearing it with a slimmer band than the original design. Small diamonds had also been added along the sides, taking the ring’s estimated value to around £126,000 ($150,000), in what jewellery expert Arabel Lebrusan suggested was a more American-style update. In Finding Freedom, royal author Omid Scobie wrote that Harry was behind the decision to resize and reset the engagement ring with a new diamond band in 2019. The biography quoted celebrity jeweller Lorraine Schwartz as saying of the prince: “He’s the loveliest person ever.

So romantic, so thoughtful.” The authors added: “(So much so that Harry also thought to have Lorraine resize and reset Meghan’s engagement ring with a new diamond band.)” Speculation over further changes resurfaced in 2022, when Meghan attended the Invictus Games in The Hague and the setting around the centre stone appeared to include additional diamonds. The ring was then missing from several of her public appearances in 2023, when a loose stone was reportedly undergoing repairs — a period some observers believed may have coincided with a third alteration.

In 2025, royal fans again scrutinised the ring after it appeared in a trailer for Meghan’s Netflix series, noting that the centre stone seemed to resemble an emerald cut rather than the original cushion cut. Some viewers suggested this could be the fourth version of the engagement ring, while others wondered whether Meghan may have worn a replica while cooking to protect the original from damage. The five-carat pear-cut diamond ring she wore on her right hand in the clip was first seen in October 2025 at Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Festival in New York City. Jewellery expert Trang Do previously told the Daily Mail that “wearing a significant ring on the right hand often symbolises independence, self-love, and personal power,” adding that the large pear-shaped diamond could “point to an upgrade or evolution of her engagement ring story.” Trang said: “Many clients today are choosing to refresh their rings to mark milestones, whether an anniversary, a personal achievement or a new chapter, rather than waiting for a traditional proposal moment.”

Alongside her latest As Ever promotional clip, Meghan also posted a video to her personal Instagram account showing herself arranging flowers. The Duchess was filmed walking through a garden before revealing a vase filled with blooms she had picked, believed to have been placed in the kitchen of her Montecito home. Last week, she appeared to show off a fashionable smart ring accessory while attending a screening of Cookie Queens, a documentary about Girl Scouts in America. Worn on her left hand, the accessory appeared to be a glittering “sleeve” for her Oura ring — the popular fitness tracker that monitors vitals, sleep quality and stress levels, and is also used by Prince Harry — paired with a £2,100 gold case set with diamonds. She also wore a new, unidentified gold band on her right hand. The appearance came as Meghan introduced a new fruit spread after teasing the launch with an Instagram video of herself picking blackberries. The flavour was announced on Tuesday as “our newest pantry favourite” in a photo shared to As Ever’s social media page. “Made with beautifully ripe blackberries for a rich, vibrant flavour that brings a little taste of the season to your table,” the caption said.