Kate Middleton just wore a special accessory from Prince William during a surprise appearance.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 42, released a video message on Aug. 11 in support of Team Great Britain as the 2024 Olympics came to a close. Prince William’s rarely-seen beard immediately generated buzz around the internet, but a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it jewelry moment from the Princess of Wales might also make royal followers swoon.
Kate appears to be wearing a promise ring from William, given to her when they were dating as students at the University of St. Andrews in the early 2000s.
According to the site Dress Like a Duchess, long before Prince William gave Kate his mother’s famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring when he proposed in 2010, he gave Kate a pearl and garnet rose gold promise ring, with pearl symbolizing William’s June birthday and garnet symbolizing Kate’s birthday in January.
According to Dress Like a Duchess, Kate wore this ring in June 2005 on her graduation day from St. Andrews, where she received a degree in art history. Kate “wore the ring on her middle finger during her youth,” according to Dress Like a Duchess, and, though she rarely wears it, has pulled the promise ring out of her jewelry box even after becoming a working royal, wearing it to royal engagements sparingly. She paired the promise ring with a Max Mara gray wrap dress for a visit to Hope House in 2013, for example, and wore it again that same year to Great Tower Scout Camp, according to the site.
The ring signified “commitment and fidelity as well as a pledge for lifelong love and loyalty,” Dress Like a Duchess wrote.
After meeting in 2001 as first-year students at St. Andrews, the two became friends and roommates before eventually endeavoring into a relationship. They had a brief split in 2007 before reconciling that same year and eventually getting engaged three years later. They married on April 29, 2011, and celebrated their thirteenth wedding anniversary earlier this year.
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According to Tatler, the garnet gemstones in the promise ring “are said to represent commitment, and pearls are known to be a symbol of innocence and purity.”
An expert from Steven Stone called the ring “priceless” amongst the Princess of Wales’ “very high-value jewelry collection” because of its sentimental importance.
Although Prince William and Princess Kate didn’t make it to Paris for this year’s Olympic Games, they made sure to share their praise for the athletes via the video alongside a number of recognizable faces including Snoop Dogg and David Beckham.
“From all of us watching at home, congratulations to team Team GB!” Kate — wearing a casual white shirt with black stripes from Ralph Lauren, according to WWD — said in the clip released on Aug. 11.
“Well done on all you’ve achieved. You’ve been an inspiration to us all,” added William, dressed in a blue polo shirt decorated with the Olympic rings.
The two took to social media to further share their support, writing “Well done @TeamGB, what an incredible journey! Every athlete showed immense dedication, heart, and passion. You made us all so proud!”
They added, “Here’s to celebrating every triumph at @Paris2024 and looking forward to more from @ParalympicsGB later in the summer.” The post also included a British flag emoji and a gold medal emoji for good measure.
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