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.
Read the original article on InStyle
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why King Charles Will Be "Forced" to Skip One Trooping the Colour Tradition in 2025 and "Leave It Behind Forever"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Trooping the Colour was a truly special occasion in 2024 as King Charles stood next to Kate Middleton on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Having both shared their own cancer diagnoses at the start of 2024, their joint appearance seemed to signal their immense support for one another. In 2025, King Charles will reportedly be "forced" to skip one very important Trooping the Colour tradition, and perhaps "leave it behind" for good. As reported by GB News, "King Charles will be forced to miss a long-held Royal Family tradition" when Trooping the Colour takes place in London on June 14, 2025. Per the outlet, The King "will not ride a horse during the celebrations and will instead ride in a carriage with Queen Camilla for the procession from Buckingham Palace to Horse Guards Parade." The monarch regularly rode a horse during the Trooping the Colour parade, first in support of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, and then as The King. Charles last rode a horse at the annual celebration in 2023, while 2024 saw The King take the carriage instead. Reporting the sad announcement, GB News revealed that King Charles "is not expected to take to the saddle personally again during future Trooping the Colour [outings]." The change will likely have a huge impact on King Charles, who has ridden horses since his youth, including as a polo player. A royal aide recently opened up about King Charles's health, telling Hello! magazine, "The thing you learn about this illness [cancer] is that you just manage it. And that's what he does." The aide continued, "Medical science has made incredible advances and I genuinely see no difference in long as you just do what the doctors say, just live your life as normal as possible." The royal aide elaborated, "It's no secret that he is still having treatment but because he is incredibly fit, he is just dealing with it all incredibly well. As everybody knows he is driven by duty, so he just gets on with it."
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
A New Role & a Rare 2-Word Comment: Prince William's Subtle References to Prince Harry This Week
Another week, another set of appearances from the royals—and this one was a big one: Prince William made his first appearance in Wattisham, Suffolk as Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, a position bestowed on him by King Charles in 2024, but more notably, one that likely would have gone to Prince Harry had he not exited the royal family in 2020. (The Army Air Corps is Harry's former regiment with the Duke of Sussex serving as a pilot with the Corps during his second tour of Afghanistan up through 2014, something he opens up about quite a bit in Spare.) When Charles made the announcement of William's appointment back in 2023 around the time of his coronation, it was a bit controversial, but also speaks to a larger issue that looms over his reign: Harry. (More on that in a minute.)As part of William's appearance this week, he also had the chance to chat with soldiers who were on a water break from combat training. It was there that the Prince of Wales brought up the topic of family, according to the Daily Mail. 'Is the pace of life good at the moment?' he asked. One of the soldiers replied that it was a 'mixed bag,' which is when William took that two-word phrase and ran with it: 'Families OK? See you enough? Some of them might not want to see you that much. It's a mixed bag sometimes.' Oof. Whether or not William was directly referencing the situation with his brother is up for interpretation, but it resurfaces the mounting pressure for the Prince of Wales and the king to extend an olive branch and make a public move toward reconciliation with the Sussexes—or put themselves at risk of this being the line that is forever drawn when it comes to their royal reputations. (My guess is that this is the opposite of what they want.)That's not to say that William and Charles aren't justified in their actions—two things can be true. As many reputable publications have reported, trust issues are certainly at play. Harry's perspective is the public perspective, for better or worse, but in the case of the monarchy, the family is intertwined so deeply with the business, it feels logical for an effort to be made to smooth things over if only to achieve some sort of closure that removes this asterisk on their legacy. Based on Harry's recent chat with the BBC, he's ready and willing, not to mention openly asking for it. The ball is in their court. The problem is that until they make a move, no matter how good Charles's (and William's) public performance is, the private family drama will overshadow and minimize those efforts. Like I said, there are bigger issues at play: A lack of trust, battles over security, so much. This royal rift runs deep. But the 'never complain, never explain' motto beloved by the late Queen Elizabeth II doesn't seem to be working here and the noise around this issue is getting louder. The choice is theirs. Kensington Palace Just Posted a Striking Photo of Kate Middleton with George (Plus a Surprising Prince William Vid)

USA Today
16 hours ago
- USA Today
Prince William sounds alarm on oceans: 'Diminishing before our eyes'
Prince William sounds alarm on oceans: 'Diminishing before our eyes' Prince William on Sunday called on world leaders and businesses to take urgent action to protect the planet's oceans, saying it was a challenge "like none we have faced before." Speaking ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference, which begins in France on Monday, William said rising sea temperatures, plastic pollution and overfishing were putting pressure on fragile ecosystems and the people who depend on them. "What once seemed an abundant resource is diminishing before our eyes," William, heir to the British throne, told the Blue Economy and Finance Forum in Monaco. "Put simply: the ocean is under enormous threat, but it can revive itself. But, only if together, we act now," he told the meeting of investors and policymakers. Princess Charlotte is 10! She looks just like Prince William in new birthday photo taken by Princess Kate This week's U.N. conference aims to get more countries to ratify a treaty on protecting ocean biodiversity, which currently lacks sufficient signatories to come into force. William addressed Sunday's gathering in his role as founder of the Earthshot Prize, launched by the prince in 2020 with the aim of making huge strides to tackle environmental problems within a decade. On Saturday, William's office released a video of him talking to David Attenborough, one of the world's best-known nature broadcasters, about his latest documentary "Ocean," which examines the plight of the seas. "The thing which I am appalled by, when I first saw the shots that were taken for this film, are what we have done to the deep ocean floor," Attenborough told him. "If you did anything remotely like it on land, everybody would be up in arms."