During a surprise appearance, the Princess of Wales recently wore a unique piece of jewelry that Prince William gave her in their early dating days.
As the 2024 Olympics drew to an end, the 42-year-old Prince and Princess of Wales supported Team Great Britain with a video message on August 11. The internet was quickly ablaze with excitement over Prince William’s seldom-seen beard, but the Princess of Wales also had a jewelry moment that would make royal fans salivate.
Catherine seems to be sporting a promise ring that William gave her back when they were first dating in the early 2000s while they were both students at the University of St. Andrews.
Long before Prince William proposed to Catherine in 2010 with his mother’s well-known sapphire and diamond engagement ring, according to the website “Dress Like a Duchess”, he gave her a rose gold promise ring in the colors of pearl and garnet, which stood for William’s June birthday and Catherine’s January birthday.
Catherine wore this ring on her St. Andrews graduation day in June 2005, according to “Dress Like a Duchess”, where she graduated with a degree in art history. According to “Dress Like a Duchess”, Catherine “wore the ring on her middle finger during her youth.” She has taken the promise ring out of her jewelry box even after becoming a working royal, but she only wears it occasionally to royal engagements. According to the website, she wore the promise ring to Great Tower Scout Camp the same year she went to Hope House, and she also wore it to a gray wrap dress from Max Mara.
According to “Dress Like a Duchess”, the ring represented “commitment and fidelity as well as a pledge for lifelong love and loyalty.”
The pair first bonded as roommates and friends while attending St. Andrews in 2001, and they eventually tried their hand at dating. After a brief breakup in 2007, they got back together that year and eventually became engaged three years later. They celebrated their thirteenth wedding anniversary earlier this year, having tied the knot on April 29, 2011.
Pearls are known to be a symbol of innocence and purity, and the garnet gemstones in the promise ring “are said to represent commitment,” according to Tatler.
Because of its sentimental value, a Steven Stone expert described the ring as “priceless” among the Princess of Wales’ “very high-value jewelry collection.”
Despite being unable to attend the Olympic Games in Paris this year, Prince William and Princess Catherine still took the time to express their admiration for the athletes through a video that featured several well-known people, such as David Beckham and Snoop Dogg.
“From all of us at home watching, congrats to Team GB!” In the video posted on August 11, Catherine, who is reportedly dressed in a casual white shirt with black stripes from Ralph Lauren, stated as much.
“Congrats on all of your accomplishments”. William, who was sporting an Olympic ring design on his blue polo shirt, continued, “You’ve been an inspiration to us all.”
The two posted on social media to show their support for one another, writing, “Wow, what an amazing journey, well done @TeamGB! Each athlete exhibited a great deal of heart, passion, and dedication. We are all very proud of you!
“Let’s celebrate every victory at @Paris2024 and look forward to more from @ParalympicsGB later in the summer,” they continued. For good measure, the post also featured emojis of the British flag and a gold medal.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have been keen to maintain a low profile this summer, spending time privately with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. There had been rumors that they might make an unexpected appearance at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
