Expert jewellers always keep an eye out for royal weddings and other widely publicised marriages, as they can often shape trends when it comes to engagement and wedding ring requests going forward.
Princess Diana’s famous sapphire engagement ring, now worn by Princess Kate of Wales, was one of the most famous pieces of jewellery of the 20th century, and as soon as the announcement and that shimmering stone appeared in newspapers, demand for sapphire rings skyrocketed.
This is what makes it so surprising that it is relatively rare for a king, prince, a prince consort or other man in the Royal Family to wear a wedding ring at all.
Why is this? Is it a somewhat hidden tradition? Is it a series of continuous coincidences? Or does it have something to do with the gold signet rings that are often worn by royals?
Do Male Royals Never Wear Wedding Rings?
Whilst queens and princesses will almost always wear wedding rings, it is not as rigid a tradition for men in the royal family to do the same.
In fact, Prince Harry wearing a wedding ring is seen as the exception rather than the rule, not least because he opted for a platinum band that he is often seen fiddling with in public rather than the traditional thin Welsh gold rings worn for over a century.
There is no rule against it, and often it comes down to personal preference; Prince William, Harry’s brother, has never worn any jewellery and did not even have one made for his wedding, whilst Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, also opted not to wear a wedding ring.
However, King Charles III does wear a wedding ring, but not on a traditional ring finger; he wears it on his little finger behind his signet ring, which often makes it difficult to see.
Why Do Male Royals Not Wear Wedding Rings?
In general, it is a matter of personal preference rather than a rule, and everyone has a unique reason for eschewing what is a fundamental tradition for many married couples.
For Prince William, he simply does not like wearing jewellery, whilst in other cases it is simply not seen as necessary; after all, if your wedding was watched around the world, it is a matter of public record that you are married and you do not necessarily need a symbol to prove it.
Why Are Royal Wedding Rings So Thin?
Another unique quirk of royal weddings is that the wedding band itself is often much thinner, much smaller and much simpler than the often elaborate engagement rings that are traditionally worn in a stack alongside it.
The reason for this is steeped in a century-old tradition; when Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later known as the Queen Mother) married Prince Albert, the Duke of York (later King George VI), they wore rings made from Welsh gold.
Since then, almost all royal wedding rings (outside of Prince Harry’s) are made from Welsh gold, a nugget of which is often given as a traditional wedding gift.
As the particular mine it came from closed in the 1980s, there is only a limited amount of Welsh gold left, so the wedding rings have gotten smaller and smaller to save it for future generations.
It is also somewhat symbolically fitting; it is a small, infinitely meaningful gesture protected behind a rather larger display of love and affection. Both parts are ultimately worn together, which creates a beautiful combination.
Can You Wear A Signet Ring And A Wedding Ring?
Some people have speculated that the reason why male royals do not wear wedding rings is that they need to also wear signet rings. This is not true, or at least is not a fundamental reason why a king or prince cannot wear a wedding band and a signet ring.
Traditionally, both are worn on separate fingers; wedding bands are worn on the third finger of the left hand, whilst a signet ring is worn on the little finger, in order to stop it from affecting finger dexterity.
As with any traditions, there is plenty of scope to change them as and when you need to; King Charles III wears both a wedding ring and his royal signet ring, but rather than wear both on separate fingers, he wears both on his little finger.
This often leads to erroneous reports that he does not wear a wedding ring; it is there, but because his signet ring is so much bigger, it is not always noticeable.