Why Kate Middleton Isn't Wearing Her Wedding and Engagement Rings in New Photo (2024)
In honor of Mother's Day in the UK, Kensington Palace shared a new photo of Kate Middleton, the first official image of the Princess of Wales released since her abdominal surgery in January.
The picture, which was taken by Prince William earlier this month, shows Kate surrounded by her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. It was accompanied by a brief note thanking the public for their support as she recovers.
"Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day," wrote the Princess. She signed the note with her initial, "C".
In keeping with Kensington Palace's original stance that they will not be providing health updates unless something significant changes, the message did not offer any additional details on Kate's recovery, or when she may next appear publicly. Previously the Palace said, "Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."
Kate appears relaxed in the photo, wearing skinny jeans, chunky lace-up boots, and a waxed jacket over a turtleneck sweater. Notably, she is not wearing any jewelry; the Princess opted to go without her wedding and engagement rings for the picture.
When asked about why she isn't wearing her rings, Kensington Palace did not comment. The Princess was at home when the picture was taken by her husband.
It is possible Kate took off her Welsh gold wedding band ahead of her surgery, as is common practice, and has yet to return it to her finger due to swelling or another aspect of her recovery.
Kate does not always wear her engagement ring, the iconic diamond and sapphire heirloom, which once belonged to Princess Diana. She often removes it during engagements involving physical activity or sports, like in 2022, when she took part in a sailing race with team Great Britain.
Notably, when engaging with medical staff or visiting hospitals, like the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, Kate also removes her ring to avoid it being a health and safety or hygiene hazard.
And T&C speculated that she removed her gold wedding band before surgery, as the procedure can induce uncomfortable swelling. She was reportedly at home when the photo was taken by William.
Many have wondered why Prince William opts not to wear his ring, despite his brother Prince Harry always sporting his. The answer is simple - the Prince of Wales does not like jewellery of any kind and that has always been the case.
The ring features a three-stone design, symbolising the past, present, and future. The centre stone is a dazzling cushion-cut diamond sourced from Botswana, a country that holds special significance for Prince Harry and was the location of a pivotal point in Megan and Harry's courting period.
Did Kate Middleton alter her engagement ring? Catherine, duch*ess of Cambridge, had it sized to fit her finger by putting small beads of platinum inside the band. The ring has not been otherwise altered.
After Diana's death in 1997, the ring was inherited by her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. Harry was the legal owner of the ring, but he gave it to William to use when he proposed to Kate Middleton.
While Diana's iconic engagement ring ended up on the duch*ess of Cambridge's finger, it was given to Prince Harry after his mother passed away. But Harry is said to have offered it to Prince William when he was planning to propose to Kate.
As well as Meghan's engagement ring and her wedding band, which was made from Welsh gold and gifted by the late Queen Elizabeth II, the duch*ess also wears an eternity ring which she received on her first wedding anniversary from Harry.
Kate's ring is extremely unique and beautiful, as not many people propose with sapphires (although they are growing in popularity). The centre stone is a stunning, 12-carat, oval, blue sapphire and is surrounded by a halo of 14 brilliant round solitaire diamonds.
While Princess Catherine made the top ten—along with Queen Elizabeth and Camilla Parker Bowles—she didn't top the list. Instead, Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan claimed the number one spot. According to the experts at Steven Stone, the monarch has the most expensive royal engagement ring, worth around $1.5 million.
"I've been saying she took the wedding ring off to slowly change the size of the diamond. It wasn't big enough for her," another person claimed. One royal fan proposed that Meghan "probably got an upgrade after another anniversary," adding that her sparkler "does look bigger."
After the birth of her son, Archie, Meghan also added a pave diamond band to her ring, bumping the total carat weight up to around 4.75cttw (carat total weight). In other words, her Meghan's engagement ring has around five carats of diamonds.
Royal insiders speculate that Queen Elizabeth's daughter, Anne, the Princess Royal, may have inherited the ring. Anne's collection of proposal pieces includes two previous rings from her marriages. But there's also a chance it could go to Queen Elizabeth's great-grandchildren, like Princess Charlotte.
The value of the oval blue sapphire, which was originally the engagement ring of Prince William's mother, the late Princess Diana, has increased more than ten-fold. While it was once valued at $50,000 when originally purchased in 1981, it is now valued at a more than $500,000.
Kate Middleton's engagement ring is now considered to be priceless due to its extensive history. However, when Prince Charles proposed to Diana in 1981, its value was $37,500. What style is Kate Middleton's engagement ring? Kate's engagement ring is an oval Ceylon sapphire ring set in 18-karat white gold.
The reason she wasn't wearing the sapphire ring, which once belonged to the late Princess Diana, is simply to allow for more effective handwashing amid the coronavirus pandemic. This isn't the first time the duch*ess has been spotted without her ring.
You might have missed it, but Prince William has never worn a wedding ring since tying the knot with Kate Middleton in 2011. Despite all the gossip, he simply doesn't like jewellery.
According to the blog He Spoke Style, the signet ring is traditionally worn on the pinky finger of the non-dominant hand. King Charles stacks his signet ring with his wedding band, which is otherwise supposed to be worn on the ring finger.
The sapphire and diamond ring that was once Princess Diana's became Kate's when Prince William popped the question to his long-time girlfriend in 2010. And there turns out to be an incredibly sweet - and pretty heartbreaking - reason why he wanted to use his late mother's heirloom.
Address: 58866 Tricia Spurs, North Melvinberg, HI 91346-3774
Phone: +50616620367928
Job: Real-Estate Liaison
Hobby: Graffiti, Astronomy, Handball, Magic, Origami, Fashion, Foreign language learning
Introduction: My name is Lilliana Bartoletti, I am a adventurous, pleasant, shiny, beautiful, handsome, zealous, tasty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
