Princess Kate's New Ring Stack Is "A Master Class in Symbolic Storytelling"
Jewelry experts weigh in on the Princess of Wales's meaningful gems.
When Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010, he gave her what is arguably the most famous engagement ring in the world: The 12-carat Ceylon sapphire belonging to his late mother, Princess Diana. Princess Kate added a traditional Welsh gold wedding band when she married William in 2011, and over the years, has also sported sparkling eternity rings. But during the 2025 Wimbledon championships, she wore a stack of three bands together with her iconic engagement ring for the first time.
The Princess of Wales debuted a stack of eternity rings with her wedding band in summer 2024, going without Diana's signature sapphire ring in a Paris Olympics video and a Reel announcing she'd completed chemotherapy treatment. Along with her yellow gold wedding ring, Kate wore the Annoushka diamond band believed to have been a gift from Prince William after Prince George's 2013 birth. Added to the mix was a sapphire and diamond Etincelle De Cartier wedding band and a thinner diamond eternity ring.
Princess Kate wore the stack sans engagement ring again in October 2024 and during her first appearance of 2025 while visiting the hospital where she was treated for cancer—and although she's worn her enormous sapphire to plenty of events since, Wimbledon marked the first time she paired her engagement ring with multiple eternity bands. During the championships, she appeared to leave her new diamond eternity band at home, choosing to wear her Cartier ring with her older diamond eternity band.
The Princess of Wales wore her eternity bands with her wedding and engagement rings for the first time on July 12 at Wimbledon.
Princess Kate's new ring stack is full of symbolism, as two jewelry experts tell Marie Claire. "Eternity rings traditionally symbolize lasting love and life’s milestones," Maxwell Stone of Steven Stone jewelers says. "For the princess, wearing them alongside her engagement ring for the first time may reflect a deeper, more personal story—one rooted in family, motherhood, and quiet strength. It’s a subtle shift that suggests she’s embracing not just the legacy of a single iconic gem, but the layered journey that has followed."
Nilesh Rakholia, jewelry expert and Founder of Abelini, adds that "Kate's decision to add a sapphire and diamond eternity band to her ring stack is a master class in symbolic storytelling."
"By keeping Diana’s ring as the cornerstone of this stack, Kate doesn't diminish its significance but rather amplifies it," Rakholia says. "This cohesive sapphire motif powerfully connects the past with the present, showing that Diana's legacy is not only honored but actively woven into the fabric of Kate's public persona."
The princess showed off her ring stack during a January visit to Royal Marsden Hospital.
Princess Kate's ring stack isn't just sentimental—it's right on trend, too.
"The ring stacking trend has surged recently, potentially because it allows for immense personalization and self-expression," Rakholia says. "Individuals can curate unique combinations that tell their life story, commemorate milestones, and adapt to their evolving style."
