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A new ring stack for the Princess of Wales? Kate Middleton adds a fifth band to her marriage finger at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral

AnyFans 2025-10-01

By Clara Strunck,Samir Hussein

A new ring stack for the Princess of Wales? Kate Middleton adds a fifth band to her marriage finger at the Duchess of Kent's funeral

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, showcased a new ring stack as she attended the Duchess of Kent’s funeral on Tuesday, September 16. Along with other senior members of the royal family, Kate Middleton arrived at Westminster Cathedral to celebrate the life of the Duchess of Kent, who died earlier this month aged 92.

Kate paired her famous, sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring with four other thin bands, wearing all five on one finger for the first time to create an on-trend stack. One eternity ring, a newer addition to the Princess’s jewelry box since last year, is adorned with diamonds and sapphires, and is thought to be the Étincelle de Cartier wedding band. Many have speculated that the ring may have been a present from Prince William to mark the end of Kate’s course of preventative chemotherapy—and of course, it coordinates perfectly with her engagement ring.

The Princess of Wales arrived at Westminster Cathedral with her husband, Prince William

Mark Cuthbert/Getty Images

A second ring, set with smaller diamonds for a pavé effect, is another new addition to Kate’s jewelry collection, and goes well with her other pieces, given its subtle sparkle. The third eternity ring is an older piece: a sparkling, diamond-encrusted style, it hails from Annoushka–one of Kate’s favorite jewelers–and is thought to have been a present from William following the birth of Prince George in 2013. The fourth and final band adorning the Princess’ finger was, of course, her wedding ring, crafted from the same nugget of Welsh gold used for Queen Elizabeth’s own wedding band.

The Princess’ choice of rings has become a matter of much discussion over the past year, with royal watchers tracking when Kate chooses to wear her famous sapphire engagement ring and when she opts instead for a set of eternity rings instead. On this most important occasion, however, she chose to team her plain black Catherine Walker coat dress with her most stunning jewelry—including all five of her favorite rings. The Princess also accessorized with the Japanese Pearl choker necklace and a pair of diamond-and-pearl earrings, both inherited from the late Queen Elizabeth.

The Princess shared a tender moment with her father-in-law, King Charles.

Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage.

Naturally, Kate is best known for the engagement ring once worn by Princess Diana, who was given the monumental sapphire by the then-Prince Charles. There was a time when the 12-carat opal-cut sapphire (surrounded by 14 round-cut diamonds) rarely seemed to leave the Kate’s hand after Prince William proposed in 2010, most likely on a trip to Kenya. After she showcased her engagement ring paired with a matching sapphire dress during the announcement that she would be marrying the future King, “big blue” quickly became one of the most iconic pieces of jewelry in the world.

In the latter half of 2024, however, many noticed that the Princess seemed to have replaced Diana’s engagement ring with something different. After the Princess of Wales made her cancer diagnosis public in March 2024, she made few public appearances; yet during that period, her engagement ring was noticeably absent.

Perhaps the most famous piece of jewelry Kate owns is her sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

At the time, many royal jewelry experts offered explanations as to why the Princess of Wales might have switched from an engagement ring to a stack of eternity bands. “Royal women wear their engagement rings in different ways, just like the rest of us,” said Lauren Kiehna, founder of The Court Jeweller, to People. Indeed, Queen Letizia of Spain, Meghan Markle, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, have all been known to take off their engagement rings for protracted periods of time.

However, Kate’s most prized piece of jewelry was firmly back on her finger for this most sombre royal occasion. The Duchess of Kent’s coffin was taken by hearse from Kensington Palace to Westminster Cathedral on Monday, September 15, where the Rite of Reception and Vespers took place, on the eve of the Requiem Mass. In a sign of the respect the Duchess of Kent earned from the royal family, her coffin was transported in the Royal Hearse, designed by Queen Elizabeth II, and draped in the Royal Standard.

Catherine, the Princess of Wales, chose not to wear her iconic engagement ring for a visit to Southport.

WPA Pool/Getty Images

The service was attended by the Duchess’ immediate family, with Prince Edward supported by the couple’s three children and 10 grandchildren. The following day, the whole royal family came together to honor and remember the Duchess of Kent, with his majesty the king, Prince William, the Princess of Wales, Prince Andrew and others coming together for a Requiem Mass. The Duchess became the first royal to convert to Catholicism for more than 300 years, and was honored with the first royal funeral at Westminster Cathedral since its construction in 1903.

Originally appeared in Tatler UK.