Princess Kate has been seen wearing her wedding band for years, but her husband, Prince William, is never seen with a ring on his finger – but there’s a reason for it
Among the most celebrated and instantly recognisable pieces of jewellery in history is the Princess of Wales’s engagement ring. Originally presented to the late Princess Diana upon her engagement to then-Prince Charles, the 12-carat sapphire and diamond ring enjoyed a remarkable resurgence in popularity when Prince William proposed to Kate in October 2010, sparking a widespread trend for sapphire jewellery.
Following their wedding, Kate added a gold wedding band to her ring collection, in keeping with royal matrimonial tradition. The band is crafted from Welsh gold — one of the rarest varieties of gold in the world.
She has since added three more rings to her collection. William is thought to have gifted Kate her first eternity band, featuring diamonds set on a white-gold band, following the birth of Prince George in 2013.
She later showed off her sapphire-and-diamond band, believed to be Cartier’s Étincelle de Cartier wedding band, in a 2024 video in which she announced she had completed her chemotherapy treatment. She also wears a delicate pavé diamond band.
Despite the Princess of Wales’s enviable collection of rings, many royal watchers have observed over the years that her husband has never been spotted wearing a wedding band — not even on their wedding day itself.
This stood in notable contrast to Harry and Meghan’s Windsor wedding, during which she placed a ring on his finger as part of the ceremony. St James’s Palace confirmed ahead of Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton on 29 April 2011 that he would not receive a ring during the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
Why doesn’t Prince William wear a wedding ring?
While some may consider it unusual that the royal prince forgoes a wedding ring, there’s a straightforward explanation – Prince William simply dislikes wearing jewellery of any kind.
A palace source disclosed at the time of the wedding, to The Mirror, that William’s decision was purely a matter of personal taste. “He’s not one for jewellery,” they explained.
“He’s never worn any. He decided he didn’t want to wear one now. It’s all down to personal preference.”
William isn’t alone amongst male family members in declining to wear a wedding band, as his grandfather, Prince Philip, also chose not to wear one – a practice which is a relatively recent tradition.
According to the BBC, “World War II is considered to have heralded a seismic shift, as many Western men fighting overseas chose to wear wedding rings as a comforting reminder of their wives and families back home.”
By contrast, William’s father King Charles does wear one – a signet ring on the little finger of his left hand. While the King sports a classic gold band, Harry is believed to have preferred a more contemporary aesthetic for his special piece of jewellery, selecting a sleek platinum design for his band.
In a long-standing royal tradition, every bride who has married into the royal family has had a bespoke wedding band crafted for their special day, with gold sourced from the Clogau St David’s mine in North Wales having been used for several royal wedding rings, among them those belonging to the late Queen, Diana, Princess of Wales, Princess Kate, and Meghan Markle.
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