Kate Middleton has been spotted several times in the recent past without her iconic engagement ring, fueling rumours about trouble in her marriage with Prince William. According to a report in GB News, the British royal seems to have replaced her diamonds-and-sapphire engagement ring with a “more practical” stack of eternity rings.
Britain’s Prince William and Kate, Princess of Wales. Kate seen here with her iconic engagement ring.(AP)
While GB News made the switch seem like a matter of convenience, royal watchers are wondering if there’s more to this story than meets the eye. Some are convinced that Kate’s recent refusal to wear her engagement ring – that once belonged to Princess Diana – signals marital troubles.
Kate’s iconic engagement ring
Kate Middleton’s engagement ring is one of the most easily-recognisable and iconic pieces of jewellery among the crown jewels. This blue sapphire and diamond ring is the same one that Prince (now King) Charles used to propose to Diana with in 1981.
The ring features a 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire encircled by 14 solitaire diamonds. It was designed by London jeweller Garrard.
According to GB News, Charles purchased the ring for 28,000 GBP ($37,700 approximately) over four decades ago. It is today worth more than 300,000 GBP ($400,000 approximately).
Kate’s new stack of eternity rings
Kate seems to have replaced her engagement ring with a stack of rings that are considerably lower in value. According to GB News, this includes a Cartier ‘Étincelle’ band and a diamond eternity ring, valued at £1,500, that William gifted her after Prince George’s birth.
The total value of her ring stack is estimated at $10,000, much lower than the value of her heirloom engagement ring.
Trouble in Kate and William’s marriage?
Fans of the royal couple are wondering whether the lack of engagement ring signifies marital trouble.
“I feel like the British tabloids are desperate to spill about the state of their marriage, just like they were with Diana and Charles but they can’t so they will drop snide jabs like this as their consolation prize,” read one comment on Reddit.
“I think it’s reflective of W&K’s marriage. They are now co-workers who are working in tandem to keep the monarchy going (even though they do the bare minimum),” another said.
“This is a ring she’s so attached to she’s gardened and sucbadived in it, so it seems odd that she’s not going to wear it anymore…” another noted.
This is not the first time that rumours have swirled about the state of Prince William and Kate’s marriage. Last year, Kate disappeared from the public eye shortly before announcing her cancer diagnosis. At that time, report after report had spoken of rumours about an affair between Kate and Rose Hanbury.
(Also read: Who is Rose Hanbury? Did Prince William cheat on wife Kate Middleton? Expert reviews new book claims)