Kate Middleton’s Engagement Ring Mystery: A Royal Secret No One Saw Coming
Kate Middleton is the keeper of one of the most iconic pieces of royal history, an engagement ring that catapulted the monarchy into pop culture superstardom. When Prince Charles slipped a 12-carat sapphire stunner, encircled by 14 dazzling diamonds, onto Princess Diana’s finger in 1981, it became an instant symbol of royal glamour and global fascination.
But in recent months, that legendary ring has mysteriously vanished from Kate’s finger. This has sparked questions and whispers among royal family watchers. So, what’s really behind the ring’s disappearance, and the royal secret no one saw coming?
Why hasn’t Kate Middleton been wearing her engagement ring from Prince William?
Royal columnist Daniela Elser of News.com.au shared her thoughts regarding Kate Middleton’s engagement ring mystery. She revealed a royal secret no one saw coming.
Elser claims that perhaps, after years of displaying the bauble directly tied to the late Princess Diana, Kate was trying to distance herself from the past. The ring symbolized a new beginning but ended with broken marriage vows.
In its place, Kate now wears a sapphire and diamond eternity band. The new ring was gifted to the Princess of Wales by Prince William as she recovered from cancer in 2024.
It is crafted in platinum and features sapphires that match the deep blue of her engagement ring. The diamonds are set between the sapphires, enhancing the overall brilliance of the piece.
She wrote, “Might Kate’s new sapphire and diamond band, which seems to often wear in place of Diana’s ring, carry with it its own meaning? A ring from her husband, purely for her and hers alone? A piece that stands for their enduring, through sickness and health (and for richer and richer) union?”
“Maybe that new sapphire and diamond eternity band signifies not just a relationship that has endured but also a woman who has come into her own and is now forging her own path. I bet Diana would approve,” Elser concluded.
Kate Middleton will likely alternate between rings
Since Prince William presented Kate Middleton with Princess Diana’s engagement ring in November 2010, it has become a constant presence on her finger. For nearly 14 years, the Princess of Wales wore the sapphire and diamond heirloom.
However, following her cancer diagnosis and the beginning of her treatment, the ring noticeably disappeared. It was absent in the Mother’s Day photograph featuring Kate with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
As Kate gradually resumed select public duties throughout the year, the ring appeared on and off. Royal expert Daniela Elser offered a practical explanation stating the hidden struggle the princess may experience regarding wearing the ring.
“This whole thing might come down to something as simple and boring as comfort. Kate’s engagement ring is stunning but would have to be somewhat unwieldy to wear day in and day out.”
As the Princess continues to recover and ease back into public life, she’ll likely alternate between the statement-making engagement ring and her more understated sapphire and diamond eternity band. While the engagement ring may reappear for formal royal events, the smaller eternity band could become her go-to for more casual, lower-key appearances.
The iconic history of the royal ring
Princess Diana’s iconic engagement ring is one of the most recognizable pieces of royal jewelry in the world. Given to her by Prince Charles in 1981, the ring features a stunning 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire, encircled by 14 solitaire diamonds and set in 18-carat white gold.
Unlike most royal engagement rings, this one wasn’t custom-designed. Diana famously selected it herself from a Garrard jewelry catalog, the crown jeweler at the time. Her choice was considered unconventional for a royal. The ring was available to anyone for purchase, but it perfectly reflected Diana’s unique taste.
The ring quickly became a symbol of Diana’s elegance and timeless style, gaining global attention from the moment her and Charles’s engagement was announced on February 24, 1981. After Diana’s tragic death in 1997, the ring was kept by the family. Prince William, later proposed to Kate Middleton with the very same piece in 2010.
