Kate Middleton has found the perfect jewelry encompassing the many unspoken words about her and Prince William’s shared journey through a tumultuous year. The Princess of Wales seems to favor a new piece of jewelry over her prized engagement ring, which once belonged to Princess Diana. Kate Middleton debuted the eternity ring this year in a sweet video of her and Prince William congratulating Team GB at the Paris Olympics. Keen-eyed observers quickly noticed that the royal’s finger was missing the infamous sapphire band passed down from her late mother-in-law. In its place, the mom of three donned an eternity band closely resembling the promise ring her then-boyfriend gave her when they first kicked off their romance in college.
Jewelry expert Ella Citron-Thompkis has now weighed in on the symbolism of this jewelry switch and what it says about Kate and Williams’ relationship. Speaking to The Mirror, the expert claimed Kate Middleton opted for the eternity ring over her engagement ring as “A subtle nod to the public” confirming she and William were more in love than ever. She explained,
“The Princess of Wales may have chosen to wear the eternity brands to represent her relationship with Prince William surpassing several major milestones — like anniversaries or births — or as a show of love and commitment.”
Going further, Ella pointed out the new eternity stone’s close resemblance to the promise ring Kate Middleton received back in college, a rose gold Victorian band embellished with pearls and garnets representing her and William’s birthstones. Notably, the Princess of Wales has ditched the royal heirloom on several occasions in the past. However, the frequency of her public appearances with alternative bands since making her royal comeback hasn’t gone unnoticed.
She opted for alternative jewelry during her first official engagement post-chemotherapy where she met with Liz, a 16-year-old navigating her own cancer journey. Again, while visiting Southport stabbing victims this month on another official engagement alongside her husband, Kate Middleton rocked several eternity bands alongside her wedding ring, noticeably doing away with Princess Diana’s ring.
According to the jewelry expert, while not exactly unusual, Kate did have practical reasons to ditch the engagement ring in favor of the new eternity bands. She cited reasons like periodic cleaning or resizing or simply the need to keep the “extraordinary and precious” heirloom safe at home for only very special occasions. In the absence of the infamous band, the Princess of Wales may have been compelled to use substitute eternity rings to disperse potential rumors. What better choice than the symbolic band which has a link to her and Williams’ royal love story?
