Princess Kate is rarely pictured without her stunning sapphire and diamond cluster engagement ring. Gifted to her by Prince William, who inherited the ring from his late mother Princess Diana, the sizable sparkler is estimated in the range of 9 to 12 carats. Yet, while her deeply moody blue ring is extravagant — the princess sometimes feels a little less, well, blue.
Though she is often associated with the cobalt engagement ring and its sapphire shade (a color symbolizing nobility, truth, sincerity and faithfulness) she does occasionally branch out. Eschewing her collection of sentimental and sizable jewelry with a significant royal heritage as well as a catalog of gifted gems — she often returns to her favorite mystery accessory: a chunky citrine cocktail ring.
In 2008, the future Windsor wife was having a fun girls night out with sister Pippa Middleton in celebration of her 26th birthday — the Middleton sisters were enjoying the downtown London nightlife scene and were spotted dining at Tom Aikens restaurant in Chelsea. For the first time, Kate was photographed wearing an oversized emerald cut citrine ring.
Possibly a gift or a family heirloom — the citrine ring has received much speculation. The mystery continued when Kate wore the accessory at Lady Rose Windsor’s wedding in the summer of 2008. The Art History grad was photographed in a pretty watercolor Lindka Cierach Dress and jacket finished with a pair of round toe satin Prada pumps and John Lewis navy sequin clutch. Kate accessorized the wedding guest look with a three strand pearl bracelet along with her chunky citrine statement ring.
In mid-May 2018, the Princess of Wales had just given birth to Prince Louis (a month prior) when she attended Harry and Meghan’s nuptials in a primrose yellow wool and silk blend coat by Alexander McQueen. For a little flair, Kate dressed up the traditional coat with her coveted golden topaz ring.
A few royal experts have estimated Kate’s yellow ring to be worth an astonishing $31,000 — that’s why it’s no surprise Kate’s pretty bauble made another appearance at the 2018 Men’s Final at Wimbledon. Kate paired her canary yellow sheath from Dolce & Gabbana with her beloved mystery sparkler.
The next year the princess-in-waiting attended Wimbledon in a Suzannah white wiggle dress which she accessorized with a miniature McQueen raffia bag and black bow belt as well as her favorite fern earrings. The dainty tea dress made for a simple monochrome style statement but Kate added a little dazzle with her beloved bling.
At the BAFTA Awards in 2020, the mom of three looked like a glamorous red carpet sensation in a hibiscus flower embroidered McQueen gown. She paired her white evening dress with her signature sparkler: a butterscotch citrine ring.
The oversized and rare ring made another appearance this time at the James Bond Premiere in London in the fall of 2021. For the film screening of “No Time to Die” at Royal Albert Hall, the princess wore a ‘Goldfinger’ sequin cape creation from Jenny Packham — the glittery gold gown was a fairytale fashion moment and singlehandedly rewrote the royal fashion rulebook. That evening, Princess Kate paired her stunning metallic design with more ‘bejeweled’ energy and completed the look with her chic citrine ring.
Adding yet another layer to the puzzling provenance of Kate’s stunning ring — the curious accessory seemed to almost disappear when the princess went to shake Daniel Craig’s hand having been apparent only moments before. Mysterious indeed!
