Why Princess Kate didn't wear engagement ring on latest outing
The Princess of Wales was missing a key piece of jewellery as she paid a poignant visit to The Royal Marsden hospital where she received cancer treatment on Tuesday.
Kate, 43, wrapped up against the January chill in a checked coat and a burgundy two-piece, but royal fans noticed that her iconic sapphire and diamond engagement ring was missing from her ring finger.
Instead, she sported the glittering eternity band she debuted last summer in its place, and her gold wedding ring.
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It's not known if Kate was wearing her engagement ring on Christmas Day as she was wearing gloves, but it was present on her finger at the carol service.
Given that the Princess was visiting a hospital, the reason behind removing her engagement ring may be down to health and safety.
The jewel, which once belonged to Prince William's late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, consists of 14 diamonds surrounding by a mounted 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire.
It's not the first time Kate has removed her engagement ring for a hospital visit.
In 2020, when she visited Evelina children's hospital, she appeared without the sapphire and diamond ring, choosing instead to solely wear her wedding ring. Two years earlier, when she met young patients at Great Ormond Street, she did the same.
At the time, Kensington Palace told HELLO! that Kate had taken off her accessories because she was visiting the children's wards, and, as such, it was important for the royal to remove any potential hygiene hazards.
Saving for a special occasion?
The Princess is rarely seen without her iconic engagement ring, but for some of her public engagements in the past year, she has chosen to leave the precious jewel at home.
The ring was missing as Kate appeared in a video with William to congratulate Team GB on their successes in the Paris 2024 Olympics, and in the moving footage released to announce she had completed chemotherapy last autumn.
The Princess only sported her eternity ring and wedding band as she paid a surprise visit to the community of Southport last October.
But Kate did wear her engagement ring for major occasions, such as Trooping the Colour, Wimbledon and Remembrance.
While royal watchers have their theories, the reason behind Kate only wearing her ring for certain events, may be down to practicalities, particularly given the size of the gemstones.
It was previously thought that William had had the jewel resized for Kate when he proposed in Kenya in 2010, but the Princess confirmed during a visit to Wales in April 2023: "Same ring and exactly the same – the same size."
