The Real Reason Prince William Never Wears a Wedding Ring
Prince William and Kate Middleton have been married for more than a dozen years. The Prince and Princess of Wales tied the knot back in 2011 in a televised ceremony that was watched around the world. The had been together for nearly a decade at that point, and they’ve continued to be the faces of the royal family ever since. Interestingly, though, you’ll never catch Prince William wearing a wedding ring — and the reason why might surprise you.
Prince William never wears a wedding ring
William and Kate’s wedding was one of the most-watched wedding ceremonies in the world (though it didn’t top Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2018 ceremony). William proposed to Kate while on a trip to Africa with friends back in late 2010, and the couple tied the knot just six months later. To mark the milestone, William asked Kate the all-important question using his mother’s engagement ring, and she still regularly wears the late Princess Diana’s ring while on public outings to this day.
However, while Kate also has a gold wedding band in addition to her engagement ring, you won’t see William wearing one. The reason? Well, he simply was never given a wedding band. According to Mirror, it was announced about a month before the Wales couple tied the knot that William would not wear a wedding ring. While most people wear a wedding band as a symbol of marriage, there was certainly no confusion surrounding whether the future king was married. Perhaps he didn’t feel like he needed the world to know in any other way. Mirror reports that a source close to the prince said he just didn’t like jewelry and had never wanted to wear a ring.
Kate Middleton defied royal protocol in her own way during her wedding to Prince William
After being given Princess Diana’s engagement ring, Kate decided to take another page out of her late mother-in-law’s book. During her vows to Prince William, Kate omitted the word “obey,” which is a line in the vows that essentially says Kate would “obey” her husband. Princess Diana omitted the same word during her wedding to then-Prince Charles back in 1981.
It seems that Kate wasn’t willing to follow all of the expected royal rules, so perhaps she doesn’t mind that William doesn’t wear a ring. Kate’s wedding ring is simple: It’s just a gold band. In fact, it’s hardly noticeable behind her massive engagement ring, so you can hardly even tell that she is wearing one.
William and Kate have made strides to be unlike previous royal couples. They have always positioned themselves as a united front, unlike William’s parents, and Kate has taken on a much bigger role as the face of the royal family, which previous royal spouses have not done. In fact, next to William, Kate has the family’s highest approval rating, Plus, she’s a commoner, which helps her connect better with the British public. William might not wear a wedding ring, but everyone knows who his wife is.
