Princess Kate and Prince William delighted royal fans over the weekend when they appeared in a video wishing Team GB well in the Olympics, and while most viewers were captivated by the Prince of Wales' beard, eagle-eyed viewers noticed another surprising detail.
In the short clip, the Princess of Wales debuted a different ring alongside her engagement ring, leading viewers to wonder why the royal is no longer wearing her wedding ring. Watch the clip below to see her new ring...
HELLO! spoke to oncology pharmacist Dazhi Liu to find out the potential reasons behind Princess Kate's decision.
Where is Princess Kate's wedding ring?
"During cancer treatment, there are several practical reasons why someone might need to take off their rings," says Dazhi, who is a medical contributor for Drugwatch. "Chemotherapy can cause fluid retention in the hands, which might make rings tight and difficult."
It's not just fluid retention that could be causing issues for the Princess of Wales, though. "Metal rings could interfere with the radiation therapy and cause issues such as burns on the skin around the ring," Dazhi continues.
Dazhi adds that cancer treatments can also make the skin more sensitive to irritation, and wearing rings could aggravate these conditions.
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Finally, removing her jewellery could protect the royal from infection, Dazhi explains: "Since patients are at high risk of getting infections during chemotherapy, removing rings can help prevent skin infections. Overall, taking off rings during cancer treatment can help avoid these potential problems."
Princess Kate's new ring
Given that Prince William's wife is still wearing her sapphire engagement ring and her other ring, we suspect the most likely reason for Princess Kate removing her wedding ring is due to the ring becoming tighter.
© GettyShe's replaced her wedding ring with a band comprised of diamonds alternating with a dark-coloured stone which appears to be a ruby or garnet.
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A ruby ring symbolises passion, love, courage, and good fortune, and the stone can boost energy levels, intuition, and spiritual wisdom.
The ring could also have sentimental meaning - coloured gems are often used to mark birthstones – Princess Kate's is a garnet, like the stones in her ring.
© GettyWhile we haven't seen the second band before, Maxwell Stone from jeweller Steven Stone explained the royal has had it in her collection for many years.
"During their university days, William gave Kate a promise ring, and though it’s hard to be certain, recent footage of the royal couple suggests she may be wearing this sentimental piece again. The ring is set on a rose gold Victorian band, featuring two garnets - Kate’s birthstone - and pearls to represent William’s June birthstone."
