Princess Diana's former butler says Prince Harry gave up his mother's engagement ring so Prince William could propose to Kate Middleton

• Harry gave up his mother's engagement ring so William could propose to Middleton, Paul Burrell said.
• In a documentary, Princess Diana's former butler said Harry originally inherited the sapphire ring.
• "His one thing he kept from his mother, he gave to his brother," Burrell said.

Prince Harry gave up his mother's engagement ring to allow Prince William to propose to Kate Middleton with it, said Paul Burrell, Princess Diana's former butler.

When Diana died in a car crash in 1997, Prince Charles allowed the brothers to choose select items from her jewelry collection to remember her by, Burrell said.

In "The Diana Story," a three-part documentary now streaming on Amazon Prime, Burrell said William asked for his "mummy's Cartier watch," which had been gifted to her by her father, John Spencer.

Meanwhile, Harry requested the engagement ring Diana selected upon marrying Prince Charles.

Burrell recalled that Harry had strong memories of the ring, and that he once said, "I remember when I held mummy's hand when I was a small boy and that ring always hurt me because it was so big."

The iconic piece is a 12-carat Ceylon sapphire ring surrounded by a cluster of 14 solitaire diamonds set in 18-karat white gold. Insider's Melissa Wiley previously reported that the ring came from Garrard, which had served as the official jeweler of the monarchy since 1843.

Burrell said that when Prince William set out to propose to Middleton in 2010, it was Harry's idea to offer up his mother's ring: "Harry said to him, 'Wouldn't it be fitting if she had mummy's ring?'"

"Then one day that ring will be sat on the throne of England," Burrell said in the documentary, adding that it was a "selfless" act of kindness between brothers - one that has culminated in 10 years of marriage, as William and Middleton celebrate their anniversary this week.

"His one thing he kept from his mother, he gave to his brother. That's selfless, kind, and exactly who Diana was," Burrell added.

While Harry could not offer his bride, Meghan Markle, the ring he originally chose, he made sure to include a nod to Diana in the ring he designed for Markle in 2017, ahead of their wedding the following year.

Harry sourced two stones from his mother's collection to design Markle's custom-made engagement ring.

"The little diamonds on either side are from my mother's jewelry collection to make sure she's with us on this crazy journey together," he told the BBC during their first interview as an engaged couple in 2017.

"Obviously not being able to meet his mom, it's so important to me to know that she's a part of this with us," Markle added.

Markle was also previously seen sporting Diana's Asprey aquamarine ring at her and Harry's wedding reception, which Diana had worn to an auction of her own clothes in 1997.

Representatives for Burrell and Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.