Royal men have traditionally chosen not to wear a wedding ring. While this is more preference than protocol, Prince Philip, Andrew and William all chose to opt out of having a ring. Prince Charles stacks his wedding ring to Camilla on top of his signet ring on his pinkie finger, rather than the ring finger.
As it turns out, it's because he simply has chosen not to wear one. But it's not just the spouses of minor royals (Princess Eugenie is ninth in line to the throne) that don't have to: Apparently all royal men get to choose whether they wear one or not.
While it is now common practice for both the bride and groom to give each other a ring as a sign of their eternal devotion, a royal aide explained that Prince William's decision not to wear a ring was 'simply down to personal preference'.
It's not his wedding ring, although he also wears that piece of jewelry on his left pinky. This large gold band is called a signet ring, or a gentleman's ring, and is often worn on the pinky of one's nondominant hand. Bloomberg reports that signet rings have been used since Old Testament times.
According to engagement ring experts, the Princess of Wales removes her ring for "health and safety reasons." Lilly is the assistant editor at Brides. She joined the staff in 2021 and covers real weddings, wedding decor, wedding news, and more.
Another reason Prince Harry's wedding ring differs from other royal men's, is that he actually wears one. Indeed, Prince William doesn't wear a wedding ring, and neither does Prince Charles, who prefers to wear a signet ring on his pinky finger. A palace aide at the time said of William, 'He's not one for jewellery.
The Duchess of Sussex inherited some of her late mother-in-law's most stunning pieces. Before her tragic death, Princess Diana made it clear that she wanted her stunning collection of jewelry to go to her sons' future wives.
While his brother Prince William does not wear a wedding ring, Prince Charles always wears his, like Harry. His late grandfather Prince Philip also never wore his wedding ring. However, Charles' ring is made from classic gold, like all other wedding rings in the royal family.
Should Queen Elizabeth II leave her bridal gown or her engagement and wedding rings to her family, they would likely be handed down to one of her great-grandchildren who have not yet married.
Use in the British Royal Family
The use of the left-hand pinky finger as the wedding ring and royal signet or initial ring of the British Royal Family is an ironclad tradition dating back to the sons of Queen Victoria, who favored pinky rings in imitation of their mother as well as following German custom.
Meghan's lack of engagement and wedding jewellery may simply be down to the styling of each look and the desire to keep her accessories minimal, or it could be that the Duchess left them at home for safekeeping.
Meghan Markle's wedding band was a gift from Queen Elizabeth
The piece was a gift from Queen Elizabeth herself and has deep roots for the royals: Welsh gold has been used for royal wedding bands as early as 1923 when the Queen Mother chose the material for her own wedding ring.
Well, it's just practical. Prince Philip's cousin, Lady Pamela, explained in Sally's biography: “In England, the upper class always have had separate bedrooms. You don't want to be bothered with snoring or someone flinging a leg around. Then when you are feeling cozy you share your room sometimes.
It is her wedding finger in particular that holds significance, with Kate wearing three rings that have very special meanings. We've all noticed the 12-carat sapphire sparkler surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds, with the engagement ring being an heirloom from her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.
Kate Middleton and Prince William don't often hold hands or publicly show affection. An unwritten rule saying royals must act professionally could be why they rarely engage in PDA. During rare occasions, the pair's been seen holding hands or touching each other's backs.
In addition to her engagement ring, Princess Kate often wears jewelry from Princess Diana's collection. Since receiving her new title, Kate has worn the Princess of Wales Feather Brooch — the piece has been passed down in the family since Princess Alexandra of Denmark received it as a wedding gift in 1863.
The necklace was part of a set which included a tiara, brooch and earrings. The stunning piece was passed down to the Queen Mother, who wore it often until her 2002 death. It was later lent to Princess Kate from Queen Elizabeth.
The jewels go back to 1837, when Queen Victoria, the Queen's great-great-grandmother was Queen. The Queen will be buried with her wedding band and a pair of pearl earrings.
If tradition prevails, most of the Queen's personal jewels will be passed on to King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Wedding jewels
The Princess wore very little jewellery at her wedding. She wore diamond earrings that belonged to her mother, Frances Shand Kydd. She also wore her Spencer family tiara, her engagement ring, and a wedding band placed on her finger by Charles at the ceremony.
While Prince William calls Kate 'Duchess of Dolittle', she calls him 'Big Willy' and 'Baldy'.
The engagement ring Camilla received from Prince Charles is an emerald-cut diamond ring surrounded by smaller diamonds, set in 18-karat gold. The design of the ring is said to be inspired by the engagement ring ofQueen Elizabeth. The Queen Mother owned Camilla's wedding band and frequently wore it in the 1980s.
Following Diana's death in August 1997, the sapphire ring was inherited by her son Prince Harry, who eventually offered it to his older brother Prince William before he proposed to Kate Middleton with it in 2010.
After Diana's tragic death at the age of 36 in a 1997 Paris car crash, her jewelry was inherited by her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. The glittering pieces collected by Diana throughout her married life held enormous sentimental value to both the princess and the princes.
While Kate inherited $110 million in jewelry from the Queen, that collection did not include the Spencer tiara, a diamond-encrusted crown inherited by William's late mother, Princess Diana, in the mid-1970s. Diana wore the tiara in her wedding to King Charles—then Prince Charles—in 1981.