Did Prince William Give Kate Middleton a New Ring, As Spotted in Surprise Olympics Video?

Kate Middleton might have something new in her jewelry box from Prince William.

Princess Kate, 42, sported some bling on her finger while appearing in a surprise video message alongside her husband to congratulate Team Great Britain on their success at the Paris Olympics. The Prince and Princess of Wales sent the virtual message on the last day of the global games but did not attend the Olympics in person, continuing a quiet summer as Princess Kate undergoes treatment for cancer.

A close look at Princess Kate’s split-second appearance in the clip, released on Aug. 11, showed that she appeared to be wearing a ring interspersed with dark and light gems. She wore it stacked on her left ring finger with what looked like a white ring and two gold bands. It’s possible that one of the gold rings is her Welsh gold wedding band that she received from Prince William, 42, when they wed in April 2011.

While it was difficult to discern the exact hue of the jewels in the ring, royal watchers had plenty of thoughts on what the deeper meaning might be. Some speculated that the darker stones were garnets, which is the birthstone associated with Princess Kate’s January birthday, or sapphires, which would complement her iconic sapphire and diamond engagement ring that previously belonged to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana.

“From all of us watching at home, congratulations to Team GB,” Princess Kate said with a smile, showing the ring as she motioned her hands in the video released to the official X account she shares with Prince William.

In the montage — which was opened by NBC Olympics correspondent Snoop Dogg and showed supportive words from several British athletes and celebrities, including David Beckham — the Princess of Wales was not wearing her 18-carat sapphire engagement ring that once was Princess Diana’s ring from the future King Charles. Princess Kate has appeared to take the iconic sparkler on and off this year, as seen in the limited number of appearances she has made throughout 2024.

She was not wearing it in the picture with her kids, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, released for Mother’s Day in the U.K. in March, but had it on her hand in the video filmed later that month when she announced that she was receiving treatment for cancer.

The Princess of Wales wore her engagement ring for her two public appearances so far this year — Trooping the Colour on June 15, and the Wimbledon Tennis Championships on July 14.

The ring revealed in the Aug. 11 video might be a lookalike to the “promise ring” she reportedly received from Prince William almost 20 years ago.

According to the fan blog Dress Like a Duchess, William gave Kate a rose gold ring embellished with her birthstone, garnets, and his June birthstone, pearls, during their courtship. She was seen wearing the piece on her graduation day from the University of St. Andrews in 2005 and has been photographed in it rarely since, though it was worn at two engagements she undertook in 2013.

It’s a little-known fact that the Princess of Wales also has an eternity band from Prince William in her collection. Princess Kate received the diamond and white gold ring from her husband following the birth of their first child, Prince George, in 2013, and she is known to sometimes subtly stack it with her engagement ring and wedding band.