Franklin Dean
On 29 April 2011, Prince William married Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey. The couple exchanged vows and rings in a ceremony watched by an estimated billion people around the world. Prince William proposed to Kate in 2010 with a 12-carat sapphire ring that once belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana. Kate's wedding band is made of traditional Welsh gold. While she occasionally opts not to wear her engagement ring, especially during informal outings or active engagements, she often wears her wedding band as a reminder of her romance with Prince William.
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What You'll Learn
Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding ceremony
On 29 April 2011, Prince William and Catherine Middleton exchanged wedding vows in Westminster Abbey, London, in a ceremony watched by an estimated billion people around the world. The couple announced their engagement on 16 November 2010, seven months before their wedding.
The wedding ceremony was attended by the bride's and groom's families, as well as members of foreign royal families, diplomats, and the couple's chosen personal guests. William's best man was his brother, Prince Harry, and Catherine's sister, Pippa, was the maid of honour. Catherine arrived at the abbey by car, accompanied by her father, and wore an ivory and white satin gazar Alexander McQueen ballgown designed by Sarah Burton. Her bouquet included myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, sweet William, ivy, myrtle, and hyacinth.
During the ceremony, the couple exchanged traditional vows, with Catherine omitting the promise to "obey" her husband. Instead, they vowed to "love, comfort, honour, and keep" each other. The Archbishop of Canterbury married the couple and blessed their wedding rings, following which William placed the ring on Catherine's finger, sealing their union.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, travelled in a horse-drawn carriage procession to Buckingham Palace, cheered on by crowds lining the streets. The London Chamber Orchestra played William Walton's Crown Imperial as the couple departed the abbey, with the Abbey's Company of Ringers ringing a full peal of 5,000 changes that lasted three hours.
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Kate Middleton's wedding band
Kate Middleton and Prince William exchanged wedding rings when they married at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011. Middleton's wedding band is made from rare Welsh gold, continuing a royal tradition that dates back to 1923 when the Queen Mother married the future King George VI. The gold comes from the Clogau-St. David's Gold Mine in Bontddu, Wales, and was also used for the wedding bands of Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, Queen Camilla, Meghan Markle, and others.
Prince William gave Middleton an engagement ring that had belonged to his mother, Princess Diana. The ring features a 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds, designed by Garrard. It is valued at over £300,000. Due to its significant value and delicate design, Middleton occasionally opts to wear a Welsh gold wedding band instead of the engagement ring, especially during informal outings or active engagements.
In addition to her Welsh gold wedding band, Middleton has been seen wearing a stack of eternity rings. One of these is a pave-set ring from Annoushka's Eclipse collection, crafted from 18-carat white gold and hand-set with 0.23 carats of diamonds. It was gifted to her by William following the birth of Prince George. Another eternity ring is the Cartier 'Étincelle' band, featuring 19 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 0.24 carats, and 19 matching sapphires totalling 0.34 carats. It is believed to be a 13th-wedding anniversary gift from William, first seen in 2024. The third ring in the stack is a slim white diamond band, believed to be another gift from William.
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Prince William's wedding ring
On 29 April 2011, Prince William and Catherine Middleton exchanged vows in Westminster Abbey, London, in a ceremony watched by an estimated billion people around the world. The couple announced their engagement in October 2010, and William proposed with a 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire ring encircled by 14 solitaire diamonds, which once belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana. The ring was designed by Garrard, a London jeweller, and was purchased by Prince Charles for £28,000 in 1981. It is now valued at over £300,000.
On their wedding day, Kate received a Welsh gold wedding band, crafted by Wartski, a Bristol jewellery company. The gold used to craft the ring was an engagement gift from the late Queen Elizabeth II. It is traditional for royal brides to receive a wedding band made of Welsh gold. The Duchess of Cambridge, now the Princess of Wales, is often photographed wearing her gold wedding band stacked with her engagement ring.
Prince William, on the other hand, does not wear a wedding band. A month before the wedding, St. James Palace announced that William would not be given a ring when he and Kate exchanged vows. This decision was made in accordance with the couple's wishes, and William has never worn a wedding band since. According to a source, the future king's choice not to wear a ring came down to his personal preference and style: "He’s not one for jewelry... He decided he didn’t want to wear one now. It’s all down to personal preference." William is not the first royal man to forego a wedding band; his grandfather, Prince Philip, also did not wear one during his 73-year marriage to Queen Elizabeth II.
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Princess Diana's engagement ring
Princess Diana reportedly picked the ring herself from a catalogue because it matched her blue eyes. The design was inspired by a piece of Royal history: a sapphire and diamond brooch that Prince Albert gifted to Queen Victoria in 1840.
The ring caused some controversy within the royal family because it was not custom-made for Diana. Instead, it was available for purchase in Garrard's catalogue, meaning anyone could have bought the same ring. This went against royal tradition, as royal jewels are usually unique and not accessible to the general public.
Following Princess Diana's death in 1997, her jewellery collection was inherited by her sons, Princes William and Harry. In 2010, Prince William used his mother's engagement ring to propose to Kate Middleton while on vacation in Africa. The ring is now valued at over £300,000.
During their wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011, Prince William and Catherine Middleton exchanged vows and rings in front of the Archbishop and their guests. The Archbishop blessed the rings and pronounced the couple as man and wife.
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Kate Middleton's eternity rings
Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has been seen wearing a series of rings that honour her husband, Prince William. The most notable of these is her eternity ring stack, which has become a new signature of her style.
Kate's eternity ring stack is believed to be worth close to £10,000. The stack includes her Welsh gold wedding band, her sapphire engagement ring, and several eternity rings. The first eternity ring that Prince William gave to Kate was the Annoushka Eclipse Diamond Eternity Ring, which he gifted to her after the birth of their first child, Prince George. This ring is crafted from 18-carat white gold and hand-set with 0.23 carats of diamonds.
Kate has since added two new eternity rings to her stack: a slim white diamond band and a mixed sapphire and diamond band. The origin of these rings is unknown, but it is believed that they are gifts from Prince William. The slim white diamond band is likely to be worth around £1,000, while the mixed sapphire and diamond band appears to be the Étincelle de Cartier wedding band, valued at £4,700.
Kate has been seen wearing her eternity rings in place of her engagement ring on several occasions, including during a trip to the National Portrait Gallery in February 2025 and in a video updating the public on her cancer journey. The eternity ring stack may be more comfortable and practical for Kate, especially during her health recovery, and it may also hold more significant symbolism, with each band potentially representing one of her children.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, William and Kate exchanged wedding rings during their wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011.
Kate's wedding ring is made of traditional Welsh gold. It is part of a royal tradition, shared by the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II.
Kate owns one of the most famous engagement rings in history, a 12-carat sapphire ring that once belonged to William's mother, Princess Diana. She also wears a series of eternity rings, including a Cartier 'Étincelle' band featuring sapphires and diamonds, and a pave-set ring from Annoushka's Eclipse collection crafted from 18-carat white gold and hand-set with diamonds.
