Over the years, much has been said about Kate Middleton and Prince William‘s marriage but when fans noticed she wasn’t wearing her wedding ring in that video congratulating Britain’s Olympic team, followers began to question why. Turns out, there’s a very simple explanation for it.
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In the short clip, the Princess of Wales was spotted wearing a different ring, one that appeared to be embellished with a ruby or garnet, alongside her engagement ring—which famously belonged to William’s mother, Princess Diana. But where was her wedding ring?
“During cancer treatment, there are several practical reasons why someone might need to take off their rings,” oncology pharmacist Dazhi Liu speculated to HELLO!. “Chemotherapy can cause fluid retention in the hands, which might make rings tight and difficult.” There’s an added complication, too. “Metal rings could interfere with the radiation therapy and cause issues such as burns on the skin around the ring,” Dazhi said.
Middleton has, as is well known by now, been undergoing treatment for an undisclosed kind of cancer, which was first revealed in February 2024. “Like a lot of people who have a brush with mortality, Kate is going to prioritize the things that matter to her from now on. In her case, that means her kids,” a royal insider told The Daily Beast.
“Charles’ cancer hasn’t gone away, the palace have said as much, and to be brutally honest, the once-popular notion that he will live to a similar age as his mother [94] or father [99] is now less widespread,” another source added. “I think that has very much focused Kate’s mind on the fact that there may only be a few years of freedom left. What does she want to do with them? Nurture her kids and try her best to equip them for the life ahead of them.”
