This past weekend, Prince William and Princess Kate shared a short video to congratulate the British Olympic athletes on their amazing achievement. However, keen-eyed viewers quickly noticed one interesting detail: Kate was not wearing her beloved engagement ring!
Let’s be honest: in that video of Prince William and Princess Kate, it was William’s beard that stole the show. But there was also a lot of speculation about Princess Kate’s jewelry, because that iconic engagement ring of the late Princess Diana, with the famous sapphire, was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she wore a different one.
Too tight
No, we don’t have to start speculating about possible marital problems between the Prince and Princess of Wales right away. Kate may have a medical reason for not wearing her ring. It could be related to the cancer treatments she is currently undergoing.
Hello! Magazine spoke to oncology pharmacist Dazhi Liu, who explains why Kate may have taken her ring off. “During cancer treatment, there are several practical reasons why someone might need to remove their ring,” says Dazhi. “Chemotherapy can cause fluid retention in the hands, which can make rings feel tight and uncomfortable.”
Irritation
But it’s not just water retention that could cause problems for Catherine. “Metal rings can interfere with radiation therapy and cause issues like burns to the skin around the ring,” Dazhi continues. In addition, cancer treatments can make the skin more susceptible to irritation, making wearing a ring more likely to cause problems.
“Since patients are at high risk of developing infections during chemotherapy, removing rings can help prevent skin infections. In general, removing rings during cancer treatment can help prevent these potential problems.” Incidentally, Kate still wears that subtle wedding band in that famous Welsh gold, so the main reason for removing her engagement ring is probably that the ring has become tighter.
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Other ring
She has replaced that beloved ring with another piece of jewelry. According to jeweler Steven Stone, it looks a lot like another gem in her collection, for which she also has Prince William to thank. “William gave Kate a promise ring during their student days and while it’s hard to be sure, recent images of the royal couple suggest she may be wearing the sentimental piece again. The ring is set on a rose gold Victorian band, with two garnets – Kate’s birthstone – and pearls to represent William’s June birthstone.” It is not entirely certain that this is indeed that sweet ‘promise ring’.
Whether it is indeed a sweet, sentimental gesture, a result of Kate’s medical treatment, or whether Her Highness simply felt it was time for a new showpiece on her finger: who knows!
Source: Nouveau, People, Hello! Magazine | Image: NL Beeld
