The Princess of Wales doesn’t wear her sapphire engagement ring all the time. The famous ring – which was once Princess Diana’s engagement ring – is sometimes referred to as Big Blue. In recent years, Kate has even made some public appearances without any rings at all. The ring issue has definitely heated up this year though. Remember that frankenphoto mess? There were like twenty things wrong with that hacked-together image, but Kate’s fans were also mad that Kate was ringless in the photo. Then in this summer’s “Olympic video,” Kate was without Big Blue, although she did appear to be wearing her wedding band plus a new (?) eternity band. Well, as people analyze Kensington Palace’s newly-released video of Kate, William and the kids, people have once again noticed that at no point was Kate wearing Big Blue. She had several costume changes within the video, but she mostly hid her hands. The brief glimpses of her left hand showed that same eternity band.
The Princess of Wales has once again swapped out her engagement ring for her stunning eternity band in a touching new video shared yesterday. Kate, 42, joined her family in a deeply personal clip, filmed in Norfolk last month, to confirm she will return to public duties following the completion of her chemotherapy course.
She holds out one of her hands to run her fingers through the tall grass, and showcases her wedding ring and her new ‘eternity band’, which she appeared to swap out for her engagement ring, that once belonged to her mother-in-law, the late Princess Diana.
After spotting the change in the royal’s chosen jewels, royal fans suggested the ring (which Kate also wore in her last appearance) is likely a gift from Prince William – and could be the sign of a ‘fresh start’ now her chemotherapy has ended.
It isn’t the first time Kate has showcased the jewellery – she wore the ring in a star-studded congratulatory message to Team GB following their success at the Paris Olympics. Appearing alongside the Prince of Wales, the Princess was seen with a new band on her wedding ring finger, leading royal fans to speculate it is an eternity ring. The thick gold ring appeared to be set with diamonds and sapphires, which would match the royal’s engagement ring that once belonged to Princess Diana.
I’ve never been interested in using Ring Watch to determine the status of someone’s marriage, and too many celebrities use disappearing and reappearing rings to get attention. That’s what this feels like too – Kate is clearly not wearing Big Blue with any regularity these days, but she’d rather people talk about rings than other stuff. Also: after fourteen years, maybe Kate finally realizes that Big Blue is cursed.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Kensington Palace and Will Warr.
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More proof these two are faking this happy family we are in love crap.
They spent an entire day shooting to get happy and loved up family images because they don’t have any real footage anyone can use from their real lives. It’s pretty sad actually.
The kids looked like they had fun, hopefully its because their parents managed to get along for the length of time to do the shots for the video. Usually in candid videos, Wills and Kate look like they can’t stand to be near each other.
Or maybe Pegs was petty enough to ask for it back, now that the negotiations have been finalized?
Hmmm…I hadn’t thought about that. Good point. It belongs to him, right? Family heirloom. It’s not hers just because he gave it to her? More like he let her wear it.
I really suspect they’re living totally separate lives and this is just for the future monarch to appear married.
Or they chopped it up into little bits to make the eternity band. 🤷♀️
Sapphires (especially large ones) do not benefit from being heated when a ring is resized. I lead with this as she may have lost weight and it needs to be resized. She may be waiting to gain back some weight.
That was my guess yesterday. Clearly the Middletons did okay in whatever negotiations were happening, but no way would William let her keep his mother’s ring.
I noticed new rings too, Meghan has had a new ring, and details added to her engagement ring. Both KKKate and Peg have no problem copying the Sussex style. They are devoid in substance though, something Harry and Meghan have in spades.
Meghan got more jewelry from her husband in 14 minutes than Kate got in over a decade from her’s, so here they go trying to cover all their CopyKeening bases.
Between the rings and the “beard” I don’t know what to laugh at first
I know the ring is pretty, and famous, and ostentatious, but- i would think twice about proposing to someone with a ring famous for being part of a loveless marriage where a 30something year old man with mistresses conned a 19 year old girl into being his broodmare.
It does not say romance or everlasting love to me.
Not without a solid wiccan ritual cleansing.
But also- and Kate has always – in her stressful marriage been skinny, but if she has lost additional weight due to illness, it probably does not fit on the same finger.
I bet it’s too loose right now. That’s my theory.
Even if it’s too loose, that’s easily fixed., whether by a jeweler or just putting a silicone band on it for a temporary fix. She’s not wearing it because she doesn’t want to or doesn’t have access to it. Either one is interesting.
My theory is that William was too mean to buy her a new ring.
I’m sure anyday now we will be told the setting needed to be repaired.. and yes I do believe they are that twisted.
This is the same woman who who wore her engagement ring while scuba diving. What’s changed and when are press going start speculating that she and William are heading for divorce like they did when Meghan was only wearing her wedding ring? Is she going to be criticised for changing her ring like Meghan was when the band on her engagement ring was changed?
Exactly, Amy Bee. Back in March during the Frankenphoto aftermath, the fact that she wore Big Blue fricking scuba diving and suddenly was ringless in a patched/ photoshopped picture spoke volumes. There is absolutely a story behind this.
Had she stopped wearing the ring for things like sailing and scuba diving then it would be less of an issue, but for over a decade she always wore that ring in public regardless of circumstances and she always made sure to present the ring in photos.
(Someone needs to check the valtrex anniversary video but she is likely wearing it there too)
That she is not does signal something, but probably more that the ring doesn’t really fit which was starting to show before the surgery.
And William looks like a hostage in the “couple PDA” parts of the video.
The other time before this spring that I remember her not wearing the ring was at the Birmingham commonwealth games, and that was remarkable to me because she wore a white pantsuit, so the lack of ring stood out. That was also when she and William arrived separately and around the time of their move to Adelaide. I thought she was trying to get people used to her not wearing it all the time.
Ring watch is exhausting generally speaking (I haven’t worn my wedding set in almost 10 years), but with Kate it seems significant because she really did always always always wear Big Blue. Maybe its way too big for her now, but then why get a new eternity band that presumably may not fit after she recovers from the chemo?
I think she has lost access to it as part of the negotiations.
If the fact that Kate seemingly no longer wears Big Blue was not an issue, the Waleses would have explained what happened to the ring back in March. The fact that no one is talking about it means that they don’t want us to know.
Maybe she threw it away after one of their fights and it can’t be recovered
Peggington through her under the bus for his own Frankenphoto that he “took” and placed on their website. If she lost it, we’d probably know. I think it’s much more likely that if they aren’t separated/ divorced, then he’s responsible for it having gone missing.
Guys, it’s fairly easy to have a jeweler simply add an extra piece of metal to your ring if it gets too big, or to even have the jeweler resize it. A too-big ring is not likely to be the reason it’s missing from her finger.
I doubt William would allow it to be re-sized because of the sentiment attached to it.
Convict:
I heard Charles once throw the ring at a servant and gave him the task to make him smaller after a pillow fight with Diana. She lost weight through her bulemia and it didn’t fit anymore.
She won the negotiations with Peg fair and square. Forfeit big blue, retire from royal duties and still keep all the glowing perks. Even Kitty isn’t stupid enough to turn a deal like that down, it’s the lifestyle she’s wanted for a very long time. Whatever he did to her was significant enough to be blackmailed by Momager. Now she has a new wedding band and doesn’t have to work another day in her life. I can’t say I’m not impressed.
oh yeah, it was obvious last year that the wheels were in motion to divorce kate by first handicapping the middleton’s but W couldn’t keep his rage in check and whatever he did to her was bad enough that it gave the middleton’s ammo and the upper hand in negotiations to give her seemingly everything she’s wanted: stay (publicly) married and in the lifestyle she’s become accustomed to, no royal duties outside of flashy events and her parents back in high society. I don’t if i’m more impressed with carol jenner or amazed W managed to mess up things to this degree.
But how is this sustainable in the long run? Certainly both Pegs and Kate would like to find a better suited partner eventually? Do they think they can hide lovers forever? Never be able to go anywhere or do anything with said lover in public?
This is short term though. The monarchy always wins and William will ultimately get what he wants. This is a family that has protected Andrew and he’s not the heir. William will be untouchable once he gets the top spot.
@Gtwiecz — it’s a case of the devil you know vs the devil you don’t know. William will hang on like grim death to his position as FK with the albatross Kate around his neck or face some very ugly truths coming out. His father has forced his hand in this and is complicit in the coverup about what William did to Kate. So he’s now between a rock and a hard place — play nice and nobody’s the wiser, divorce will not be in the cards. William has enough sidepieces to keep him occupied and Kate has the kids, a luxe lifestyle and now doesn’t have to work at all. Such a lovely couple to be reigning monarchs…
Do you realise the imbalance of power between business failure Carole Middleton and Prince William, future King? One word through one of his staff to the media and the Middletons will be toast. Just like that. They are nothing but low level grifters, con artists and gutter snipes. Even Charles, the King, would end the Middletons reign of terror to protect his son and heir.
@Convict, I would agree with you, but the balance of power would change if Carole had information and (stone cold reliable evidence of that information) that would effectively destroy William (and, by extension, the monarchy). She got herself some leverage and it’s good. I really don’t think we’ll ever know.
@Startup: I see your point, I really do. Carole might be able to destroy William, but William is not the monarchy. Carole does not have that power and never will. Plus, her grandson is going to be King, just as Diana’s eldest son will be and she wanted to preserve the monarchy for that reason.
I tend to agree with Nic. This institution hasn’t survived 1000 + years by being blackmailed by a lowball con like Carole.
While scrolling X on her account she uses to bash Meghan perhaps she stumbled on the old video of Joan Collin saying how absurd it was to propose with a ring from a famously unhappy marriage
Do tell, is there any account that could be Kate?
Maybe it’s too big now, from her weight loss.
I also wonder too if it’s as simple as she’s lost so much weight it doesn’t fit and doesn’t want to lose it.
Nah. She has been skinny minny since she married Pegs. Losing a few more pounds wouldn’t make a big difference and resizing rings is possible.
She’s worn it to everything, including events where the ring could easily slip off and disappear, since the day she got it. It was twirling around her finger during the early days.
My working theory is she’s always had a copy. Diana’s ring is in a vault somewhere. Does Kate know she has a dupe? Not sure.
Several people I have known have gotten “puffy” while getting chemo and gained some weight so had to remove rings, but I guess her drug regimen did not have those side effects .
My husband’s aunt had breast cancer and reacted as you described to the meds, but most people I know who have had or are fighting cancer lose (lots) of weight. My MIL is no longer overweight and gets compliments about it, but her doctors are unhappy, for instance.
Getting compliments on weight loss due to illness is awful.
People would ask me, how did you do it? My response: I will tell you, but I don’t recommend it. Then I would tell them so they could feel all weird about commenting on it in the first place.
Good on you, Catmum. Perfect response.
I was more impressed with her managing to drive what appears to be a Manual land rover.
I mean why wouldn’t she be able to do that? She’s had lots of time in her life to learn how to drive manually.
I learned to drive about 20 years ago in a manual, means you can drive a much wider range of vehicles.
In the UK she would have learned to drive in a manual car even thou automatic’s are becoming more popular – I learned to drive in a manual and can drive both.
Manual cars are still v popular here in the UK.
As an American I had the same first thought but yes I do think it’s not so unusual for Brits and other places probably. I’m in my 40s and I don’t know anyone who drives manual. I don’t think my mom even learned back in the day.
I’m an American and I learned to drive on a manual (I’m 42.) My dad insisted. He and my mom wanted me to be able to drive any car any where (i.e. if I was at a party and needed to leave.) My first car was a manual – a saturn coupe, lol, I loved that car. Stick shift was cheaper than automatic.
So Kate driving a manual didn’t even really register in my head.
I learned to drive manual in the USA – on the other side of the road with the steering wheel too! I already knew how to drive manual, but it was a challenge driving on the opposite side of the road.
@Becks that was smart of your dad. I never learned manual, and regret it.
Interesting that we didn’t get an estimated cost on the new ring. I doubt there would be any hesitation to put a price tag on jewelry Meghan is wearing (or throw out the price, size and room counts for her Montecito mansion) but mum’s the word for Kate’s new bling ring.
And of course the daft thing is we are not supporting Meghan. How she spends her money is none of our business.
Talking about the new ring raises questions about what happened to the old ring.
I don’t think that Ma Middleton blackmailed the BRF. The power differential is just too great. Even if William hurt Kate badly, the BRF can pressure healthcare workers, servants, and even their children to deny Ma and Kate’s truth. William probably did the math and realized that “William, Kate, and his happy family” is an easier sell than “William the Playboy Prince.”
Just think about it – Kate still keeps everything she wants; she is the future King’s mother and lives privately in the country. The tabloid press follows William and his girlfriends wherever they go. The stench of debauchery sticks to him. Moreover, he loses credibility points in battle with Harry. Admittedly, the battle is mostly in William’s head, but still.
Could go either way. I used to be obsessive about wearing my all my wedding rings including my engagement ring, but after 12 years of marriage and growing up a bit, I’m less inclined to rush back and put them off if I’ve forgotten them. I will also say that my husband and I are happier now more than ever (our child is not an infant or toddler anymore!) in our marriage, so my lack of rings isn’t a sign of marital discord.
I still find it macabre and weird to wear any of Diana’s iconic jewelry. Idk why it’s so unsettling to me, I just think it’s a bit tacky and could completely get why she would want to retire the ring.
It’s not the most practical thing to wear daily. I can’t imagine she wears it around the house or to the beach. The eternity rings are low profile and easier to wear.
Oh, I’m sure it is more comfortable and practical to wear, unless of course you’re Duchess Meghan. Then it means the marriage is over and you’ve probably pawned the ring. *eyeroll*
They photoshopped the hell out of that mother day’s photo. It always seemed weird to me that they didn’t photoshop the ring to her finger since she rarely took official pics without it until then. Even on her official birthday pics where she was cosplaying a civil war widow or something, she held her fingers in a deliberate way to show the ring. I am sure it is some kind of a message she isn’t wearing it consistently anymore.
In that case I just think that it’s a big rock and that she doesn’t want to damage it. That being said, they are so eager to be annoying about Meghan’s own engagement ring that I think that Kate deserves to have people being annoying about her big ring as well.
OMG THEY ARE ON A TIMBER CUT LOG LANDING PLAYING ON LOOSE LOGS!!
As a 22+ year Forestry Tech, I just showed this to the people in my office, and we are all like “wtf they are trying to take out the whole royal family”.
NEVER and I repeat NEVER play or climb on a stack of cut logs, dont even park near a log landing, IT IS NOT SAFE. Those are loose logs, EACH weighing hundreds of lbs and will crush instantly, especially as they gain momentum rolling. They are stacked by machine to be removed promptly, they are not secure. This has to be the most unsafe video we have seen, and should never have occurred.
Exactly! I grew up in Oregon & this is something every kid learns–don’t play on a log deck! Also, that message got reinforced working for the Forest Service for nearly 17 years. 😉
It might not fit now. Meghan didn’t wear her ring for a year.