A royal insider claimed the decision is a matter of personal preference.
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When Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot in April 2011, the bride received a ring made of Welsh gold to symbolize the couple’s vows and their marriage. The Princess of Wales is often photographed wearing the gold band stacked with her sapphire and diamond engagement ring, but the Prince of Wales is never spotted with a bauble on his left ring finger. Instead of simply misplacing the item or getting it redesigned, William doesn’t sport a wedding ring because he never owned one in the first place.
A month before the royal wedding, St. James Palace announced that William would not be given a ring when he and Kate exchanged vows, according to the Mirror. At the time, a palace insider said William’s choice simply came down to his everyday style. “He’s not one for jewelry,” the source explained. “He’s never worn any. He decided he didn’t want to wear one now. It’s all down to personal preference.”
In 2018, royal commentator Eloise Parker provided some more insight to Marie Claire as to why William opted against a wedding ring. “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,” she said. “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.”
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Unlike William, Prince Harry does wear a wedding ring. The Duke of Sussex’s accessory is a platinum band, which Meghan Markle presented to him during their vow exchange at their wedding in May 2018. The Duchess of Sussex also received a special band to commemorate their marriage: a design made of Welsh gold, which is a tradition for royal brides, according to the Mirror. Meghan usually dons the jewel with her engagement ring, a three-stone design made of diamonds.
In regards to Kate’s wedding band, both the Princess of Wales and her husband worked together with the Bristol jewelry company Wartski to design the piece. The accessory also has sentimental meaning: The publication reported that the Welsh gold used to craft the ring was actually an engagement gift from the late Queen Elizabeth II. Kate’s engagement ring is also steeped in royal history—William popped the question with the iconic diamond and sapphire sparkler that his mother, Princess Diana, wore. “It’s my mother’s engagement ring, so I thought it was quite nice because, obviously, she’s not going to be around to share in any of the fun and excitement of all this,” Prince William shared during his post-engagement interview with ITV News. “This is my way of keeping her sort of close to it all.”