Why Kate Middleton Doesn't Always Wear Her $500,000 Sapphire and Diamond Engagement Ring
In years past, Kate Middleton's famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring—the same ring once worn by her mother-in-law, Princess Diana—used to be a firm staple in her wardrobe.
After her cancer diagnosis in early 2024, though, the Princess of Wales has only worn it intermittently, mostly to major royal functions like last June's Trooping the Colour or last month's Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey. For more intimate royal engagements—like her visit to Southport, England with husband Prince William last summer, to meet with those affected by stabbings there the July prior, or her trip to the National Portrait Gallery with children in February—Kate has been opting to leave the iconic piece at home.
It's a 'symbolic decision' to not wear her $517,000 engagement ring, according to Hello!; the move represents a 'shift' in the Princess of Wales' life post-2024 and all of the tumult that it brought. (In addition to Kate's own cancer diagnosis, her father-in-law, King Charles, was diagnosed with cancer at almost the same time; while Kate is now in remission, his treatment continues.)
This week, Kate released a video promoting the Scouts on April 14, where she spoke about finding 'peace and reconnection' in the great outdoors. Following her pattern as of late, the more casual appearance saw the future queen without her engagement ring, and Ella Citron-Thompkins, a jewelry expert from Diamonds Factory, shed some light as to why to Hello!, telling the outlet that the decision to not wear the ring in Monday's video in particular is 'likely a thoughtful and symbolic' one.
'The video focuses on the importance of nature, mental well-being, and emotional grounding,' Citron-Thompkins told the outlet. 'Her ring is a highly recognizable piece, so she may strategically want audiences to connect with the messaging rather than herself.'
This approach harkens back to Kate's reported preference for the focus to be on her work, not her wardrobe—as has so often been the focus of her royal engagements in her nearly 14 years of being a working royal.
For Monday's video, 'Instead of her engagement ring, [she] opted to wear her eternity ring stack,' Citron-Thompkins added. 'Following her recent treatment, it's clear that much has shifted in her life. Health challenges often bring a deeper appreciation for comfort and symbolism, especially in the pieces we choose to wear, so it's understandable and admirable as to why she may opt for a more 'low-key' approach to casual appearances.'
Kate's eternity ring stack includes her Welsh gold wedding band—a tradition among royal women—as well as a diamond eternity ring no doubt given to her by William.
'The eternity ring features a fine band of pavé-set diamonds in white gold or platinum—understated and symbolic,' Citron-Thompkins told Hello!. 'In contrast to her bold sapphire engagement ring, which is rich in royal history, her eternity stack is subtle and modern, reflective of her new shift in priorities.'
William has remarked that he gave Kate his mother's former engagement ring as a way to keep her close after her death in a car accident on August 31, 1997, when William was just 15 years old. Back in 1981, ahead of her engagement to the former Prince Charles, Diana picked out her own engagement ring at Garrard, opting for the large sapphire surrounded by diamonds 'because it matched her eyes,' Hello! reported.
When it was purchased 44 years ago, the ring would have cost around £28,500 ($37,806), and, according to Hello!, the piece could be valued up to £390,000 today ($517,000).
In 2024, Kate wore the ring to Trooping the Colour in June and Wimbledon in July, but then opted for the eternity ring stack for most of the rest of the year, pulling out her sapphire and diamond engagement ring towards the end of the year for Remembrance events in November and her 'Together at Christmas' carol concert in December. In 2025, Kate has largely stuck to the same formula: sapphire and diamond engagement ring for the more formal royal occasions, and the eternity ring stack for the more intimate engagements where she is up-close-and-personal with people.
'It wouldn't surprise me if she sometimes chooses not to wear her most important jewels in those kinds of settings, reserving her grander engagement ring for more public occasions,' writer and historian Lauren Kiehna, founder of The Court Jeweller blog, told People last year.
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