Why Kate Middleton Is Not Wearing Her Engagement and Wedding Rings in New Mother’s Day Photo

For Mother's Day in the U.K., a new photo of Kate Middleton was released on Instagram by Kensington Palace amidst much speculation about the Princess of Wales following her scheduled abdominal surgery in January. Fans and British citizens have been wondering about the Princess's condition as she has pulled back from public appearances. In the new picture, she looks well and is surrounded by her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.

In the caption, signed off by Kate, a message read, “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C.”

Followers of the account wondered why Kate is not wearing either her engagement or her wedding ring in the photo, and Town and Country stated that Kensington Palace did not respond to questions as to why. It's not unusual for the Princess to forgo her engagement ring, an heirloom that once belonged to Princess Diana; she has been seen without it during active appearances, like a sailing race with team Great Britain in 2022. And T&C speculated that she removed her gold wedding band before surgery, as the procedure can induce uncomfortable swelling. She was reportedly at home when the photo was taken by William.

The Palace has maintained that they will not be providing additonal details about her health condition unless there's an important change, saying in February, “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the Princess' recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands.”

Royal aides also told The Sun, “We’ve seen the madness of social media and that is not going to change our strategy. There has been much on social media but the Princess has a right to privacy and asks the public to respect that.”

In the new picture, though Kate isn't wearing jewelry, she is comfortably dressed in form-fitting jeans, lace-up boots, a sweater, and jacket. The kids are laughing and similarly dressed for comfort, wearing cardigans and jeans, with Charlotte in a plaid skirt and stockings.

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