The secret message Meghan Markle engraved on her watch

The royal bride-to-be revealed that she has special plans for the watch in future

When Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced to the world that they were due to marry by taking part in a photocall at Kensington Palace, all eyes were on the engagement ring designed by the groom-to-be.

While the ring is undoubtedly beautiful, having been made using diamonds previously owned by Princess Diana, there is another accessory in Markle’s collection that carries particular significance.

When TV show Suits was renewed for a third season in 2012, Markle decided to buy herself a Cartier watch to mark the occasion.

In celebration of the important moment in her acting career, Markle had the watch engraved with a poignant message.

“I’ve always coveted the Cartier French Tank Watch,” she told Hello! magazine in 2015.

“When I found out Suits had been picked up for our third season - which, at the time, felt like such a milestone - I totally splurged and bought the two-tone version.

“I had it engraved on the back, ‘To M.M. From M.M.’ and I plan to give it to my daughter one day.

Meghan Markle wearing her Cartier watch while fundraising at the Annual Charity Day at the Cantor Fitzgerald Office in New York in 2013 (Getty Images)

“That’s what makes pieces special, the connection you have to them.”

The message with which Markle chose to emboss the watch emphasises the importance of recognising and valuing your achievements, as she addressed the watch to and from herself.

While Markle became a household name as Rachel Zane on the legal drama, she’s also made a strong impression as a humanitarian and activist.

Markle has spoken publicly about gender equality as a UN Women Ambassador and previously travelled to Rwanda as part of Canada’s World Vision Clean Water campaign.

As for the subject of children, her close friend and former agent Gina Nelthorpe-Cowne has revealed in a Sky documentary that Markle is excited about the prospect of becoming a parent.

“She said to me, ‘I would absolutely love to have children, and I can’t wait to be a mother.’”, Ms Nelthorpe-Cowne said.

Prince Harry confessed during the couple’s engagement interview with BBC News that he hopes to start a family in the near future.