When new images of Kate Middleton working from home wearing a wearing a chic pink Marks & Spencer pant suit surfaced over the weekend, royal watchers and fashion enthusiasts alike were understandably excited.
Eat your heart out, Carrie Bradshaw, some said as the Duchess was pictured speaking on the phone at a desk laden with vintage-covered books. Her working from home set-up was enviable, to say the least.
But there was a small detail only picked up on by eagle-eyed royal fans who are across the 38-year-old royal’s go-to accessories – one of which was glaringly missing.
Did you spot it? Something special was missing from Kate’s fashionable Marks & Spencer ensemble.
(Kensington Royal)You might (read: probably) be familiar with Kate’s iconic sapphire engagement ring, was presented to her by Prince William back in 2010 and coveted by the masses in the decade since.
And while there are few occasions where the Duchess forgoes wearing her rings, no one expected that this photo opportunity would be one of them.
But forgo it, she did. Kate’s dazzling blue sparkler, which once belonged to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana, was noticeably missing from her ring finger in the new snap – but instead of jumping to conclusions and throwing out unconfirmed rumours of trouble in paradise and discontent between her and Wills, there’s actually another completely viable and positive reason as to why she went without it.
Kate is rarely seen without her iconic sapphire engagement ring – which once belonged to Princess Diana.
(Getty)As the COVID-19 health pandemic grips the world and throws entire countries into various forms of lockdown in order to combat the rapid spread of the virus, our own health and safety has never been more important.
That’s why it makes sense for Kate to stick to the basics and follow official health recommendations – one of which involves wearing jewellery.
As pointed out by PEOPLE, a 2018 study undertaken from Georgia State University revealed that rings could unwittingly create “a protected area [on the skin] in which bacteria can flourish.”
The study also found that people who didn’t wear rings could kill more bacteria when they washed their hands.
With frequent sanitisation and thorough hand washing being urged for every single person to adopt as part of their daily routines, it makes sense for Kate to lead by example.
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Kate has also opted to leave her engagement ring at home for similar reasons in the past.
Just three months ago, the Duchess visited Evelina children’s hospital, where she was also urged to leave her rings off in line with the hospital’s policy to ensure sanitation standards were as high as possible.
So with that cleared up, and with the knowledge that both Kate and Wills are successfully keeping busy with work in the same vicinity (now having moved to their country home in Norfolk), we can safely say there’s no sinister reason as to why she left off her engagement ring.
Health and safety always comes first, particularly in our climate.
