Princess Kate recently made a public appearance and eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice her missing ring. She was seen at the hospital where she received her cancer treatment and decided to ditch her iconic blue sapphire engagement ring for the occasion. She wore a burgundy turtleneck and skirt, and the outfit was paired with a checkered coat.
The royal was photographed at the front entrance of the hospital that is located at West Chelsea.“Coming in the front entrance here, having made so many quiet, private visits, actually, it’s quite nice,” Kate shared with BBC in an interview.
The Princess Of Wales Makes An Emotional Return To The Hospital Where She Received Cancer Treatment https://t.co/KFg3gFW0pT
— British Vogue (@BritishVogue) January 14, 2025
Catherine’s ring of choice is what made headlines. The Princess of Wales was seen sporting a simple gold eternity band in place of her engagement ring. This is not the first time the royal has ditched her blue sapphire ring for her public appearances.
The Princess has opted out from wearing her engagement ring when she is visiting hospitals or interacting with medical professionals. The first time Kate was seen wearing the eternity band was in a video posted in September of 2024. In the video, the Princess gave royal fans an update about her cancer journey.
A message from Catherine, The Princess of Wales
As the summer comes to an end, I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have finally completed my chemotherapy treatment.
The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it can change in an… pic.twitter.com/9S1W8sDHUL
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 9, 2024
The eternity band is reported to be a Welsh gold wedding band. The Princess ditched the invaluable ring another time in 2020. Kate was spotted without the ring during her visit to the Evelina Children’s Hospital.
Another time she opted not to wear the ring was when she met up with young patients at Great Ormond Street. Kensington Palace had shared how the decision was made to avoid “potential hygiene hazards.”
Catherine wears 3 rings: Her Iconic ring, the welsh Gold wedding band & The third ring she wears is an Eternity ring. ‘Prince William gifted her the “Eclipse Diamond” eternity ring to mark the birth of Prince George and affirm his everlasting love. 🤩😍❤️ pic.twitter.com/q19Mb3CtGc
— Canellecitadelle (@Canellelabelle) February 12, 2023
The ring was missing on Kate’s finger in a video posted following the 2024 Paris Olympics. In the video, Prince William and Catherine congratulated the Great Britain team for their performance at the Olympics. Another time that the Princess did not wear her engagement ring was when she visited Southport in October.
Kate’s engagement ring carries a special significance. The blue sapphire ring previously belonged to Princess Diana. The highlight of the ring is the 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire. The blue diamond is surrounded by 14 other diamonds. The ring is estimated to cost $520,000.
William popped the question when the two were out on a vacation with friends in Kenya. The two got engaged in November 2010 and got married in April of 2011.
During her recent visit to the hospital, Kate interacted with the patients battling cancer. The royal spoke to a lady receiving chemotherapy while urging her to keep a positive mindset. “It’s really tough. It’s such a shock. Everyone said to me, ‘please keep a positive mindset, it makes such a difference,’” Kate said.
Catherine opened up about the “real challenge” after the treatment was over. The royal explained how along with side effects, a patient’s body experiences “long-term effects.” She added, “The body is amazing at telling us ‘you need to take time out.’”