The Duchess of Edinburgh has been seen at multiple public engagements without her Welsh gold wedding band, prompting speculation about the missing jewellery.
Sophie, 60, who is married to Prince Edward, appeared at the RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival on June 30 without either her wedding ring or engagement ring.
The royal’s bare ring finger was particularly noticeable as she toured the flower show and met schoolchildren at Hampton Court Palace.
Whilst her three-diamond engagement ring reappeared at a subsequent event on July 3, the wedding band remains conspicuously absent from recent appearances.
The Duchess of Edinburgh has been seen at multiple public engagements without her Welsh gold wedding band, prompting speculation about the missing jewellery.
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During her visit to the RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival, the Duchess toured the grounds, sampled ice cream and engaged with young visitors, all whilst her left hand remained noticeably bare of both rings.
The absence of her distinctive tri-diamond engagement ring, featuring an oval-cut centre stone flanked by two heart-shaped diamonds, was particularly striking.
Three days later at the Groundswell Regenerative Agriculture Festival at Lannock Farm in Hertfordshire, Sophie’s engagement ring had returned to her finger.
However, the Welsh gold wedding band was still missing from the July 3 appearance, where she attended the day after Prince William had made an understated visit to the same event.
The Duchess has form for not consistently wearing her sentimental jewellery.
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The current UK heatwave offers one practical explanation for the missing wedding band, as many people remove jewellery during hot weather.
Alternatively, the ring may be undergoing routine servicing or maintenance.
The Duchess has form for not consistently wearing her sentimental jewellery.
According to Hello, Sophie has previously foregone both rings during overseas trips and official portraits.
Even at the prestigious Order of the Garter service at Windsor Castle on June 16, photographs showed her wearing only her engagement ring on her left hand.
Sophie has previously foregone both rings during overseas trips and official portraits.
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This pattern suggests the missing wedding band may simply reflect Sophie’s relaxed approach to wearing her rings rather than any deeper significance.
Sophie is not alone amongst royal women in occasionally appearing without her engagement ring.
The Princess of Wales has been spotted multiple times without Princess Diana’s famous sapphire and diamond ring, opting instead for a ring stack during her cancer treatment.
The Duchess of Sussex also went without her engagement ring for a period in 2023.
Sophie’s engagement ring, designed by Garrard, was presented to her by Prince Edward in December 1998. The couple announced their engagement the following January.
