It's no secret that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been through the wringer over the last couple of years, having decided to step back from royal duties and moving to California despite pushback from the royal family and the British press, causing a major rift between Prince Harry and Prince William. So it might shock fans of the royals to see that Prince Harry seems to have just donned a sentimental necklace with a connection to his brother on a four-day working visit to Colombia to meet with Vice President Francia Márquez.
Prince Harry Shocks Fans by Donning Necklace Once Ripped from His Neck by Royal Family Member
On the mend
The necklace, gifted to the prince by a friend from Botswana, features three pendants—a tiger's eye stone and two silver plaques that are each etched with the cardiogram of the Prince's children, Archie and Lilibet—all on black cord. In addition, the tiger's eye gem is meant to promote clarity in the wearer, something that Prince Harry has had a lot of since parting with his royal duties.
It's been mentioned by Prince Harry in a 2023 interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that the then-fixed necklace had allegedly been "broken" by a physical altercation with Prince William prompted by William's accusations over Meghan being "rude" and "abrasive." The altercation was written about in Harry's book Spare. Interestingly enough, some people theorize that this necklace is also the very same that can be seen around Harry's neck on the cover of his memoir.
During the altercation surrounding Meghan, Harry mentions in his memoir that William "grabbed [him] by the collar, ripping [his] necklace, and he knocked [him] to the floor. [Harry] landed on the dog's bowl, which cracked under [his] back, the pieces cutting into [him]. {Harry] lay there for a moment, dazed, then got to [his] feet and told {William] to get out."
On the Sussex's trip to Colombia, there are a selection of photos of the pair with the vice president and her husband along with Colombian students. In those photos, Harry can be seen wearing casual suits with open collared shirts where his cord necklace is visible.
Meghan and Harry spent their trip to Colombia speaking with students on how to create a safer digital landscape and the importance of mental health for children across the globe. Perhaps this choice to wear the cord necklace is a symbol of a new start for the prince, one where mending broken things is at the forefront of his mind.