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PRINCE Harry WILL wear a wedding ring to mark his marriage to Meghan Markle in a break with royal tradition.

The couple have chosen Cleave and Company to make their wedding rings - the same company that fashioned Meghan's engagement ring.

 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will wear wedding bands from Cleave and Company
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will wear wedding bands from Cleave and CompanyCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Meghan's ring has been fashioned from a piece of Welsh Gold, gifted by The Queen, while Prince Harry's will be a platinum band with a textured finish.

Cleave and Company have a royal warrant and are based at Buckingham Place.

According to the order of service, Harry has decided to wear a wedding ring, like his father Prince Charles.

Very few men in the monarchy have chosen to put on a wedding band, but this is reportedly a decision the couple made to mark their union.

 Harry has already given Meghan a stunning engagement ring
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Harry has already given Meghan a stunning engagement ringCredit: AFP or licensors

A source told The Times: "They talked about it together and he has decided to wear one."

When his brother Prince William married Kate Middleton, he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather the Prince Philip, and uncles the Duke of York, Prince Andrew and Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, who all chose not to wear the symbol of marriage.

By contrast royal brides have been given wedding rings made from gold nuggets from Clogau St David's mine at Bontddu in North Wales, and Meghan is expected to follow the tradition.

The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate's wedding ring - a plain, slim gold band - was made by royal warrant holders Wartski and fashioned from a nugget of Welsh gold given to William by his grandmother the Queen as a gift to mark his 2011 wedding.

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.


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

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.

There may be an element of social class at play for men who decide not to wear a wedding ring as those from the upper classes are said not to like jewellery.

 Experts predict that Meghan will soon add a Welsh gold band to her ring finger
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Experts predict that Meghan will soon add a Welsh gold band to her ring fingerCredit: Getty Images - Getty

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 gold came from the Clogau St David's mine at Bontddu in North Wales. There is now only a minute sliver - one gram (0.035oz) - of the original nugget left.

But in November 1981, the British Royal Legion presented the Queen with a 36-gram (1.3oz) piece of 21-carat Welsh gold for future royal wedding rings.

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.

It was handmade in court style by Wartski and the precious metal was supplied by Cambrian Goldfields Limited.

Want to know more about the royal wedding?

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Here's the lowdown on Meghan Markle’s engagement ring and how Prince Harry used Princess Diana’s jewellery when he proposed.

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