The Princess of Wales made a surprise appearance on Thursday, appearing alongside her husband Prince William for a joint engagement at Charing Cross Hospital to meet an array of staff. The royal was her usual polished self, wearing a burgundy suit with her hair in tumbling curls, but super royal fans may have clocked that she wasn't wearing her signature sapphire engagement ring.
Instead, just her simple gold wedding band was on display, without her famous jewel. It is likely that this was not a personal decision, but one linked to the location of her engagement. In the past, we've seen the Princess remove her chunky ring for hospital visits, due to the infection risk.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesIn 2018, Kate met young patients at Great Ormond Street and 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.
Standard infection control precautions listed on the NHS website for employees in a clinical setting are as follows: "Remove all hand and wrist jewellery. The wearing of a single, plain metal finger ring, eg a wedding band, is permitted but should be removed (or moved up) during hand hygiene."
The history of Kate's engagement ring
Kate was first given the precious piece of jewellery back in 2012, when William popped the question on a private holiday in Kenya. The ring originally belonged to Princess Diana and has a lot of sentimental value.
Diana had picked out the ring from Garrard ahead of her marriage to the now-King Charles III in 1981, reportedly because it reminded her of her own mother's engagement ring.
© Anwar HusseinThere was a rumour that it was Prince Harry that inherited the ring and he then handed it over to his brother in order for him to propose to his university sweetheart. However, Harry's book, Spare, revealed that this story was "nonsense" – he had not inherited his mother's ring, and therefore, there was no tender moment when Harry handed it over to William.
Another false rumour was that the ring was too big for Kate, but during an appearance in Wales in 2023, Kate set the record straight. "It's the same ring and it was exactly the same size when I tried it on," she told fans. "I'm honoured to wear it, I never sadly got to meet her."
