A Dorchester jewellers is hoping its unique ring designs will allow it to play a very special part in a royal wedding.

Neil Strudwick and his wife Donna own Goldcrest Jewellers in the Hardye Arcade and have confirmed they are in talks with Kensington Palace as one of the firms which could design the wedding rings of the newly-engaged Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

On hearing the news of the royal engagement on Monday the couple immediately got to work to create ring designs.

Seven years ago Goldcrest Jewellers was one of four companies shortlisted to make the wedding rings for Prince William and his then fiancée Kate Middleton.

Mr Strudwick said: "Seven years ago when we sent our ring designs to Kensington Palace we didn't expect to hear anything back.

"We were just blown away when we were shortlisted – I think we were one of four companies.

"When we heard the news of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle we thought let's take a chance – so we sent our application and designs off on Tuesday morning.

"I was up until the early hours of Tuesday working on designs and looking at Meghan's engagement ring on the internet to try and work out what would fit nicely next to it – it's hard work to do but I am proud of what we submitted."

Dorset Echo:

The happy couple - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

A Facebook post from Goldcrest Jewellers on Tuesday morning read: "We can confirm today that we are in talks with Kensington Palace and we have submitted designs for the wedding rings for Prince Harry of Wales and Ms Meghan Markle."

Goldcrest Jewellers has been a finalist in the Dorset Wedding Supplier Awards for the past three years, winning it in 2016.
Set up in 2010, the business has gone from strength to strength. 

Mr Strudwick added: "My wife and I, we see our job as a hobby. We love coming into work in the morning.

"We have so many happy couples coming to us to help design their ring and we love it. We love talking to them and hearing their story and how they got engaged.

"It would be such an honour to design Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding rings. We're keeping our fingers crossed."