In a congratulatory video to Team Great Britain, the Princess of Wales appears to have been wearing her promise ring.
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After the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris came to a close on Sunday, August 11, Kate Middleton and Prince William—along with other English celebrities, such as David Beckham—shared a congratulatory message to Team Great Britain, which the Prince and Princess of Wales posted on their Instagram feed. While the purpose of the clip was to praise the Olympic athletes for their outstanding performance throughout the Olympic Games, fans couldn’t help but notice that the Princess of Wales had a new bauble on her left ring finger.
Shortly after Snoop Dogg begins the Instagram Reel by saying, “Greetings loved ones,” a reference to a line he uttered in Katy Perry’s “California Gurls,” the camera cuts to Kate and William, standing beside one another. Dressed in a black-and-white striped, long-sleeved Ralph Lauren shirt, Kate exclaims, “From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB.”
Eagle-eye fans quickly pointed out that the Princess of Wales’ usual diamond-and-sapphire engagement ring was absent from her left ring finger. Instead, she had another sparkler in its place, which diamond expert Maxwell Stone of U.K.-based fine jewelry retailer Steven Stone believes may be a sentimental bauble from Prince William: her promise ring.
Stone explains that while Kate and William were dating at St. Andrews, William gave her a promise ring. The piece of jewelry features two garnets to signify Kate’s birthstone and pearls to represent William’s birthstone, which are set on a rose gold Victorian-inspired band. Given these meaningful facets, Stone estimates that piece of jewelry is worth about $2,000.
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While the promise ring isn’t a permanent replacement for her engagement ring, Stone says the nostalgic accessory is a more durable alternative that can withstand Kate’s cancer-treatment journey. “Unlike Kate’s 12-carat engagement ring, which she typically removes during physical activities, sports, or any situation where there’s an increased risk of damage or loss, this ring is more practical for daily wear,” he notes. “Kate has also previously removed her engagement ring when visiting hospitals for health and safety reasons. Given that the princess has been undergoing treatment recently, this could explain why she switched to wearing a different ring.”
Along with the heartfelt message to all of the athletes who competed on behalf of Great Britain, Kate and William also reinforced their congratulatory words with an earnest caption. “Well done @teamgb, what an incredible journey!” they wrote. “Every athlete showed immense dedication, heart and passion. You made us all so proud! Here’s to celebrating every triumph at @paris2024 and looking forward to more from @paralympicsgb_official later in the summer 🇬🇧🥇.”