Prince Harry made a touching sacrifice for brother Prince William before he proposed to Kate

Prepare to have your heart melted...

Prince Harry reportedly made a touching sacrifice for his brother, Prince William, ahead of his proposal to then-girlfriend Kate Middleton in 2010.

Speaking to the Daily Star, a source close to the Royal Family explained how Harry had given up a treasured item that had been passed down from his late mother to allow his brother to pop the question.

After the loss of Princess Diana in 1997, both of her sons were said to have been allowed to have chosen a 'keepsake' from her possessions in Kensington Palace.

'William picked his mum's Cartier watch, and Harry picked her sapphire and diamond engagement ring,' the insider detailed to the paper.

'They had an agreement that whoever got engaged first would have Diana's ring – and of course that was William and Kate' - so in line with this arrangement, Harry handed the ring over to William to give to his future wife.

Princess Diana and the Duchess of Cambridge both wearing the sapphire engagement ring in question

William, who got down on one knee on a holiday in Kenya in October, has since said that using the ring in the proposal was 'a way of making sure my mother didn't miss out on the excitement.'

'[The ring is] very special to me, as Kate's very special to me, so it's only right that the two are put together,' he added at the time their engagement was announced.

This has, however, led followers of the princes to question which item of jewellery Prince Harry is likely to use if he chooses to propose to girlfriend Meghan Markle in the near future.

Rumours have circulated that that he may use stones from one of his mother's tiaras to create a new ring for his intended, although as the accessories are not typically personal items, and rather, tend to be passed through the family, this would not be usual protocol.

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