Kate Middleton Isn't Wearing Her Engagement Ring — & It Has Nothing To Do with Prince William

Louisa Ballhaus
·3 min read

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As Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle step down from their position as senior royals, Prince William and Kate Middleton are ramping up their efforts to reach out to the public on behalf of the royal family. In a recent Instagram discussing the mental health challenges created by social distancing, Kate was spotted without her famous sapphire and diamond engagement ring, previously owned by Princess Diana. Before your imagination starts to run away with you — she and William are doing just fine. So, why isn’t Kate wearing her engagement ring? The answer just might convince you to take off your rings too.

According to the CDC, “studies have shown that skin underneath rings contains more germs than comparable areas of skin on fingers without rings.” A 2018 Georgia State University study further said that “rings provide a protected area in which bacteria can flourish” — which is pretty much the opposite of what we’re trying to achieve right now.

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Self-isolation and social distancing can pose huge challenges to our mental health — in recent weeks The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been in regular contact with organisations and patronages to understand the issues they are facing during this difficult time. Last week ☎️ The Duke spoke to @mindcharity CEO Paul Farmer, and The Duchess spoke to Catherine Roche, CEO of @_place2be. Today Public Health England has published new guidance to help support people during the COVID-19 outbreak, and updated its world-leading Every Mind Matters platform, with specific advice on maintaining good mental wellbeing during the outbreak; take a look at our Story or visit the link in our bio 📱 to find out more. Speaking about the new guidance, The Duke and Duchess said: • “It is great to see the mental health sector working together with the NHS to help people keep on top of their mental well-being. • By pulling together and taking simple steps each day, we can all be better prepared for the times ahead”. • The Government has also announced a grant for @MindCharity to help fund their services for people struggling with their mental wellbeing during this time.

A post shared by Kensington Palace (@kensingtonroyal) on Mar 28, 2020 at 5:01pm PDT

So, with all our daily hand washing, it makes perfect sense that Kate would want to be following best practice for getting her hands fully clean (not to mention that constantly taking it off and putting it back on would be annoying and stressful — this isn’t exactly a ring you can casually misplace). Part of Kate and William’s work in guiding us through this time is leading by example, and Kate’s shown a perfect, simple way she can take extra precautions.

“By pulling together and taking simple steps each day, we can all be better prepared for the times ahead,” Kate and William wrote on Instagram. In the end, Kate taking off her engagement ring is a big deal — not because it says anything about her personal life, but because it proves just how devoted she is to staying healthy and informed.

Kate Middleton won’t be attending any royal functions soon, but you can look through some of her favorite fashion choices right here.

Launch Gallery: 15 Clothing Items Meghan Markle & Kate Middleton Love to Re-wear

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