Kate Middleton Isn’t Wearing Her Wedding Ring in 1st Photo Shared Since Her Surgery

For the first time since her abdominal surgery, the Princess of Wales has resurfaced in an official family portrait shared by Kensington Palace in honor of Mother’s Day in the UK. Kate Middleton’s photo shows her posing with her three children—Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis—but social media users are already picking up on what appears to be a pretty major omission from the portrait: the princess isn’t wearing her wedding ring.

Princess Kate shared a personal message alongside the photo, thanking fans for their support since she underwent her abdominal surgery in January 2024. “Thank you for your kind wishes and continued support over the last two months,” read her statement. “Wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day. C.”

More from StyleCaster

• The Truth About Rose Hanbury Daughter's Father

• Kate Middleton Is Being Accused of Altering Her Vogue Cover For That Post-Surgery Photo

The 42-year-old mother of three normally doesn’t wearing her engagement ring, a.k.a. the famous sapphire piece she inherited from the late Princess Diana—but it’s rare to see her without her gold wedding band. Already, her missing ring has social media users speculating about the state of her marriage with Prince William, who is also absent from the family portrait. (According to Kensington Palace, however, the Prince of Wales was behind the lens as the photographer responsible for the portrait.)

“Are we meant to ignore the fact that Kate isn’t wearing her wedding ring? Trouble between her and Prince William?” one commenter speculated on X (formerly Twitter). Another X user wrote, “PR STUNT GONE wrong again, no wedding ring, weather is suddenly bright in London with green grass and green leaves even though London don’t look like that right now,” adding, “A MESSS do they think people in this generation are that dumb.”

This wouldn’t be the first time that the Prince and Princess of Wales have released an official portrait with photoshop fails—Prince Louis’ missing finger in their family Christmas photo being one of the more recent examples—but given the recent list of conspiracy theories circulating about Kate’s lack of public appearances since her surgery, the scrutiny and speculation surrounding the royal family’s image has only intensified.

Kensington Palace has shared several responses to the conspiracy theories surrounding Kate’s health, telling Page Six in February 2024 that, “Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess’ recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands.” They reiterated their stance to Entertainment Tonight, telling the outlet, “We gave guidance two days ago that the Princess of Wales continues to be doing well. As we have been clear since our initial statement in January, we shall not be providing a running commentary or providing daily updates.”

Previously, the Palace stated that the Princess of Wales would be taking a long break from her public facing royal duties until after Easter. Until then, we can only continue to wish the Princess of Wales well on her recovery.

Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival by Omid Scobie

‘Endgame: Inside the Royal Family and the Monarchy’s Fight for Survival’

$19.41$32.0039% Off

Buy Now

Endgame, the explosive book from longtime royal journalist Omid Scobie and author of the international blockbuster Finding Freedom, is a penetrating investigation into the current state of the British monarchy—an unpopular king, a power-hungry heir to the throne, a queen willing to go to dangerous lengths to preserve her image, and a prince forced to start a new life after being betrayed by his own family.”

Queen Elizabeth II’s death ruptured the already-fractured foundations of the House of Windsor—and dismantled the protective shield around it. With an institution long plagued by antiquated ideas around race, class and money, the monarchy and those who prop it up are now exposed and at odds with a rapidly modernizing world. Relying on his vast experience as a royal reporter and over a decade of conversations and interviews with current and former Palace staff, trusted friends of the royals and even the family members themselves, Scobie pulls back the curtain on an institution in turmoil to show what the monarchy must change in order to survive.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission from the sale.

Best of StyleCaster

• The 26 Best Romantic Comedies to Watch if You Want to Know What Love Feels Like

• These ‘Bachelor’ Secrets & Rules Prove What Happens Behind the Scenes Is So Much Juicier

• BTS's 7 Members Were Discovered in the Most Unconventional Ways