In honor of World Elephant Day, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took to Instagram to post a series of throwback photos from the couple’s mission trip to Botswana in 2017. Among all of the incredible elephant photos, we couldn’t help but notice Meghan Markle’s Hand of Fatima ring, which holds hidden meaning.
The royal couple took the trip to Botswana with a mission to help Dr. Mike Chase, founder of Elephants Without Borders, in his conservation efforts. In one of the emotional photos posted to the ‘gram on August 12, Markle is seen delicately holding an elephant’s giant trunk, while sporting an eye-catching thumb ring.
Markle had other gold, dainty rings on, too (possibly from one of her favorite fine jewelry brands, Catbird), but this one in particular holds extra significance. The exact ring that Markle wore on their trip was the Hamsa Ring ($300) from a Turkish jewelry designer Kismet by Milka. The 14-carat rose-gold ring features a small sapphire in the “eye” of the palm-shaped hamsa.
It makes sense that the duchess chose this piece for such a special trip. The hamsa is an ancient Middle Eastern symbol that represents good luck, happiness and most importantly, protection against negative energy.
This isn’t the first time Markle has debuted the Hamsa ring. She also wore it to attend the Royal Variety Charity’s nursing home in 2018 while she was pregnant with baby Archie.
The duchess may be fond of delicate, small pieces, as compared to bolder, flashier options, but that doesn’t mean they don’t hold a lot of meaning.
