Why Prince William Doesn't Wear a Wedding Ring

He's not the first royal to do so.

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Prince William and Princess Kate have looked so loved-up lately, especially in the princess's recent emotional video announcing she has completed chemotherapy treatment. In it, William looks like his wife's biggest supporter and showers her with PDA. While the strength of their union couldn't be more apparent, many royal onlookers have noticed the heir doesn't wear a wedding ring—and his reason for doing so is quite surprising.

William chose not to wear a wedding band for his April 29, 2011, ceremony and has continued to forego a ring. A spokesperson told People at the time, “There is only going to be one ring, in accordance with the couple’s wishes.”

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“He’s not one for jewelry,” a source told the Mirror in December 2023. “He’s never worn any. He decided he didn’t want to wear one now. It’s all down to personal preference."

William isn't the first royal to forego a wedding ring. His grandfather, Prince Philip, also chose to opt out of the tradition during his marriage to Queen Elizabeth II.

“Although it’s traditional for royal women to wear both an engagement ring and a wedding ring after they get married, it’s never been traditional for royal men to wear one,” royal commentator Eloise Parker told Marie Claire in 2018. “That’s why Prince Philip and Prince William don’t wear them. I think when you have a wedding watched by millions, everyone knows you're married.”

William's dad, King Charles III, and his brother, Prince Harry, however, do wear wedding bands. Harry dons a platinum wedding band with a textured finish made from Welsh gold. The royal family has made many rings using Welsh gold since the Queen Mother's wedding in 1923. Meghan Markle's ring is also made from Welsh gold and was gifted to her by Elizabeth.

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Harry and Meghan tapped London's Cleave & Company to create their rings, along with Meghan's engagement ring, a three-diamond band that Harry designed. Two of the stones come from Princess Diana's personal collection, while the third comes from Botswana, a country the couple holds dear to their hearts.

Kate's engagement ring also has a sweet connection to Diana: her recognizable sapphire and diamond band once belonged to her late mother-in-law. Kate was also given a Welsh gold wedding band on her wedding day, using gold that was originally presented to Elizabeth and stored in the royal vaults.

According to a palace source, the queen gave “a piece of the gold that has been in the family for many years to Prince William as a gift.” He tapped Wartski with creating the ring.

Recently, Kate has swapped out her sapphire piece for a new infinity band, which she wore in a video congratulating Team Great Britain for its 2024 Paris Olympics performance and again in her cancer update video.