Why didn’t Duchess Kate wear her sapphire ring to the Commonwealth Games?

Here are more photos from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s outing on Tuesday. They were in Birmingham with Princess Charlotte, checking out the Commonwealth Games. These photos are from their visit to SportsAid House. Kate is the royal patron of SportsAid, although she barely does anything with that patronage. Going from memory, some of the last events she did in association with SportsAid: in 2019, when she sat on one of the outer courts at Wimbledon to watch a young British player, Harriet Dart, who had gotten some support from SportsAid. In 2020, Kate also looked like Gumby as she did some “sports” at an event.

As many pointed out yesterday, Kate was not wearing Big Blue, her sapphire engagement ring. She did appear to be wearing her wedding band though. It’s possible that nearly twelve years after she first got Big Blue, Kate has finally realized that she probably shouldn’t wear such a priceless heirloom everywhere, especially to sporting events. Or maybe it was just being cleaned or repaired. Or maybe she was sending a signal that the move to Adelaide Cottage marks some kind of new phase of her marriage. Who knows!

Princess Charlotte seemed to enjoy parts of her day out with her parents. None of these kids seem to enjoy the photographers and Charlotte seemed suspicious of why cameras were documenting her every move. Charlotte’s dress is from Rachel Riley, and she and her mom both got to wear flats. A small relief that Charlotte got to wear a summer frock and sandals. Kate told the SportsAid people that Charlotte’s favorite sport is gymnastics: “Charlotte spends most of her time upside-down, doing handstands and cartwheels.” Apparently, Charlotte was really into the swimming competitions too.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

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185 Responses to “Why didn’t Duchess Kate wear her sapphire ring to the Commonwealth Games?”

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  1. Linder says:

    I doubt that the ring she wears in public is the real one except for very special occasions.

    • Becks1 says:

      I think this is probably right but even so, she always wears the fake one.

    • MakeEverydayCount says:

      There is video of William and Charlotte arriving via helicopter. They meet Kate at the landing field. So technically William arrived separately from Kate…again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ5ldR1E0Q4

      • Seaflower says:

        Wow, another helicopter ride. Such environmental conscientiousness.

      • JustBitchy says:

        Interesting that it doesn’t appear to be the same helo as the royal family one. Also William jumping out of the front passenger (or co pilot) seat is, well , not surprising.

      • WHAT says:

        Rewatch the video 📷 and pay attention to Charlotte getting out of the🚁. Look at what she has in her hands. It’s quick so you will have to ⏯️ it over. This is the clearest sign that not only are they separated. The kids know it and understand it and maybe this is why George hugged will at Wimbledon. Why Louis 😹 acted the way he did 🤣 at the jubilee and why Charlotte acted the way she did at the pool meet. Also who wears Camilla flats with an all white outfit.

      • Amy Too says:

        Charlotte has a duffel bag with her. Like an overnight bag. Hmmm.

      • swirlmamad says:

        @WHAT, I was watching it last night and I couldn’t exactly tell — was it an overnight bag/blanket or something like that? That’s what it seemed like to me. Also, once she hops out of the helicopter you clearly see her little feet excitedly running over to the car…as if she hadn’t seen her mom in a few days and couldn’t wait to see her. Strange times, indeed.

      • Harper says:

        Good catch @AmyToo. I had to watch the video a few times to see Charlotte through the window of the helicopter but she is wearing the blue striped dress for the day appearance and holding a light pink girl’s duffel bag when she jumps out.

      • MakeEverydayCount says:

        3:05 Kate is driven to the helicopter
        3:15 Charolotte waves excitedly at Kate
        3:22 Charolotte jumps down from the helicopter with pink duffel bag

      • Duch says:

        @what and @Make, I think you just broke this wide open.

        Between George’s reaction to PW at Wimbledon, and then this, it’s clear that at a minimum PW and DK are vacationing separately.

        I think it’s not a stretch to go further, with the news of the house. But the minimum now seems to be more or less in the open.

      • Amy Too says:

        Also the difference between how Kate dresses the kids for events when they’re at her house (suit and tie for George, conveniently color matching mom!?) vs how William dressed Charlotte (casual, normal little girl outfit) seems to point to separate lives and separate rules at mom’s house vs dad’s house. After the suit debacle, there was an article covered here all about how KATE—specifically and only Kate—insists that George dresses like that for public engagements.

        And then not only do the kids dress wildly differently when they’re with dad vs mom, will and Kate dress differently from each other and often clash. Her lilac springtime gown with his green, velvet, very fall looking tuxedo jacket at the Earthshot awards. The fact that she’s wearing this all white professional, dressy suit with diamonds and William’s looking much more casual at these events. And then throw in children acting like they haven’t seen the other parent and literally transferring overnight bags from one parent’s “vehicle” (if you can call a heli a vehicle?) to the other? It’s becoming really weirdly obvious.

      • Erin says:

        @what- I agree, those shoes do not go well with that outfit.

      • Gabby says:

        UGH. Why doesn’t this egotistical prick get more grief for his near-constant use of helicopters?

      • equality says:

        The comments on that video are insane. You would think he had managed to fly a rocket to an undiscovered planet and safely land instead of doing something many people do all the time.

      • Becks1 says:

        Okay I finally watched the video and WOW. She definitely has an overnight bag with her. Do we think Kate took a separate helicopter and then was driven to meet them? Or did she have to drive there lol. Either way, the meet up with duffel bag ONLY makes sense if Charlotte was switching houses after a weekend. Maybe William had her to make the video on Sunday (and taking her to the game was under consideration) and now he’s dropping her back off with Kate for the rest of the week?

        But I mean, how can they really hide this at this point?

    • Hotsauceinmybag says:

      Was about to comment, she probably has many imitations. I used to nanny for an extremely wealthy family – the husband was a diamond dealer and the wife’s engagement ring was this priceless, specially cut (huge) diamond. I think it was 1 of 2 out there on the market. She would wear the real one out and about but when we traveled she’d bring several high quality replicas with her.

      • Wiglet Watcher says:

        I’m not wealthy and I have a replica because of the stone size and quality. Prongs always need tightening and large stones with great quality and cut always need cleanings if you wear them often.

      • KFG says:

        I think 🥚 took it back. It’s his. He doesn’t want her to have it.

  2. Beenie says:

    This is how Kate should be dressing 85%++ of the time. No ruffles, no lace, no excess buttons. Just a clean, sophisticated look.

    • Mary Tosti says:

      Yes she looks so good when she dresses like an adult.

    • Green girl says:

      I think she looks great with this look! I think she should have used a black belt, but on the whole it is a fresh and modern look for her. From the pictures I think she likes it too.

      • SugarHere says:

        These are indeed the most beautiful pristine photographs ever taken of Catherine since 2005. I believe she is starting to enjoy her new status as a single mom, and her blooming face -for once- is indicative that she is successfully navigating the ultimate stage of acceptance of her husband in writing having mistresses, provided she becomes queen. I guess the Queen loathed Diana for challenging the old palace rule that the crown comes at a price.
        I wonder whether this non written palace arrangement implies that Kate is entitled to a lover of her own.

      • Wiglet Watcher says:

        Sugarhere
        Huh? The face is full of fillers. And Kate can’t enjoy her single mom status because she’s still William’s wife. Which means if she’s caught with anyone else all deals are off.

      • Cairidh says:

        Someone on twitter posted a photo of Kate with her arm around a man at a polo match, and implied he was her boyfriend. They did look cosy, but I’ve no idea who he was, or if they were just friends.

    • og bella says:

      I love this look.

    • MF says:

      Yes, this is far better than 98% of her looks. In part because fussy styles don’t suit her but also because she looks like an adult here.

      • SugarHere says:

        @WIGLET WATCHER: Yes, we sure can see how botoxy and plasticky her face looks but can we credit her this time around with not looking depressed, underfed and older than she really is. Plus, she spared us the manic smile that scares children off.

        Now as far as the unwritten palace code goes, you’re confirming what I suspected. This is a one-way licence to cheat that benefits men. I never thought a woman would willingly endure such humiliation for the sake of power. Or is it power?

  3. Noki says:

    OH WOW never seen her hand look so bare that ring truly is hideous. i Hope she asks for a dainty replacement, no one will care, many people change rings after milestone anniversaries.

    • C says:

      A dainty replacement would be nice but it’s one of the most famous engagement rings of all time, of course it would cause a stir.
      If WIlliam couldn’t bother to get her her own ring for engagement I see no reason why he’d get her a replacement.

      • Noki says:

        And if The Crown is to be believed , Charles didn’t even pick the ring either,couldnt be bothered it was Diana that chose it.

      • Becks1 says:

        I think that’s pretty true, right? Their jewelry (Garrads? Is that right?) came over with a selection of 10-15 rings and Diana picked the biggest one.

      • swirlmamad says:

        Exactly, C. Like father, like son — neither could be bothered to put in the effort to choose a ring that reflected their “love” or bride-to-be’s tastes….unlike Harry, who made sure to design a ring to reflect how much Meghan means to him. SMDH.

      • C says:

        There are tons of legends about how Diana got it. One is the tray story, one is that she picked it from a catalogue, another is that Charles picked it out (the last one is what Garrard’s states).

      • Nic919 says:

        It’s the engagement ring for one of the most cursed marriages out there. The ring should have been turned into a pendant or something.

      • Jaded says:

        Diana chose it from a tray of rings from Garrard’s because it was the biggest and most expensive, and the blue matched her eyes. The royal family was miffed at this because normally brides would choose rings from the royal collection and have them re-set or personalized in some fashion. Her independent streak was starting to show even back then.

      • swirlmamad says:

        @Nic, I will always shake my head in disbelief at both of them about that ring — at William for being so shortsighted, unromantic, and unfeeling by giving her a ring that has such clear negative connotations, and Kate for being so thirsty and desperate to snag him that she would accept that. If my husband attempted to propose with a ring that was a literal symbol of his parents’ famously doomed marriage and unhappiness, I would’ve slapped it out of his hands.

      • B says:

        Lol a dainty replacement to match Meghan’s? But seriously it just occurred to me that Big Blue is famous because of Diana. Kate copies Diana and Meghan so that she can bite off their star power but what is she leaving for Charlotte? Besides coat dresses what is Kate known for, and its weird she wears them in 2022 I definitely don’t see her daughter wearing them in 2037. When Charlotte is grown what could she possibly wear that people would reference as belonging to her mother?

        It just really hit me how nonexistent Kate’s legacy is so far. Camilla will be an infamous Queen Consort whose remembered because of her connection to Diana. A woman who is still outshining that family 25 yrs after her death. But Kate is practically a nonentity now and will be eclipsed completely once George and Louis start dating. History doesn’t remember the mothers of Kings or Royal Consorts unless they made an impact. She’s melting away to secure the Queen Consort role as if it will give her a place in history when she won’t even be footnote or last past the next generation.

        I can’t decide if its pitiable or karma.

      • Cairidh says:

        People don’t remember the Queen consorts anyway. Camilla May be famous in history but only because of the lurid phone call, which happened long before she was Queen or royal.

        The wives of Henry 8 are famous, only because there were a lot of them, and 2 had their heads chopped off.

        Eleanor of Aquitaine was famous and powerful in her own right before she married an English king.

        Nobody cares about the rest of the Queen consorts in English history. They quickly get forgotten once their relatives (who actually knew them) have died. Kate will be as famous as Queen Adelaide.

    • Lorelei says:

      @Noki, her hand really does look strikingly bare because she is NEVER without Big Blue! Have we ever seen her without it (or a replica) even once in the past 11 years? She wore it to go scuba diving, for the love of god.

      @Jaded, this family is so dim and hypocritical that it drives me to distraction.
      It’s so on brand of them to be upset with Diana for failing to pick a ring from the royal collection, when THEY. ARE. THE. ONES. WHO. PRESENTED. HER. WITH. A. TRAY. FULL. OF. RINGS. FROM. GARRARD’S! Make it make sense 😫

    • Chuckles says:

      @Sugarhere her neck area looks ……..she looks underfed and malnourished. She looks easily 60 in her neck area as well.

  4. Becks1 says:

    okay so what is so weird about her not wearing big blue is that she wore it on Sunday. She had it on in the event before the sailing, with the 1851 trust (in the white shorts and striped sweater), and then didn’t wear it for sailing. I wonder if it at some point in the process of taking it off for sailing it got damaged or even lost?

    (I also go under the assumption that she’s wearing a duplicate and not the real thing, so if it got damaged or lost its not the end of the world but she may need to get another duplicate made.)

    What I did think was interesting was that she didn’t wear her eternity band either. Maybe she needs Big Blue to keep it in place?

    Anyway she looks different in these pics; less photoshop?

    • Kiera says:

      Right Becks! She looks nice….

      Like this is an outfit I wear and how I would dress my daughter. Not for going to a sorting event but for a work or a dinner.

      I feel a disturbance in the force!

    • Chloe says:

      Not wearing her engagement ring for once might be nothing but then her and william also arrived separately. Again.

      • Becks1 says:

        AND william arrived with Charlotte in the helicopter, so they can’t use the excuse about the line of succession.

        Wonder how many times they have arrived separately at events and the media has covered it up?

      • Both Sides Now says:

        @ Becks1, that’s an excellent point! How long has this lifestyle of theirs been unseen? Are they showing it now to begin the separation phase?

        I don’t care about CopyKeen and her despicable behaviours but IF and when Baldemort finds wife #2, she’s out, and good riddance!!! He won’t stay if he finds a better replacement as that will not be hard when you see what he is working with. Charles would certainly be pleased!!!

      • Wiglet Watcher says:

        Becks
        They arrived and left separately numerous times before it was banned from coverage. There were so many twitter folk detailing this. It ended when Kate and William left an event together. We’re brought to KP. And through the fence people caught on camera William and Kate looking icy towards each other while one boarded a helicopter and another a car that left in separate directions.

      • Lorelei says:

        Something is definitely up. There’s been some sort of shift recently- maybe we’ll learn more when the kids start school again?

        But I think her showing up without that ring is significant. For the past 12 years, not only has she had it on at *all times,* but she also makes an effort to make sure it’s displayed for the cameras as much as possible. Someone would literally have to pry it off of her cold, dead hand.

        I don’t believe for a minute that it’s being cleaned or repaired and she doesn’t have a few replicas; she CHOSE to not wear one.

        IMO it is very scandalous!!

      • Erin says:

        @wiglet watcher- I especially love the pieces in the pro Cambridge publications that have titles like “The super duper sweet reason why Will and Kate never ever touch in public and actually look like they can’t stand the sight of each other and it’s a nod to the Queen, squeeeeeeeee!” Then it’s usually just a load of propaganda about how they are so much more royal and better than M&H.

      • Debbie says:

        @Lorelei: You make a good point that, even if the ring she usually wears is out for William’s 100 girlfriend (oops, I mean mile) cleaning, Kate is known to have duplicates and she’s being pictured not wearing any of them. I also agree that she usually positions herself so that it’s always visible.

        For those wondering when the BM will report on these new developments in the Cambridges’ marriage, like traveling in different helicopters and cars, and Kate’s being seen without her ring, I wouldn’t hold my breath because the column above is still being covered as a “Kate’s fans were wondering” about Big Blue kind of story. Not as juicy gossip.

      • Nic919 says:

        If we go back to the time William and Kate were late for Easter service and made the queen wait for them until she couldn’t anymore, that was because Kate had been at the Middletons for Easter with the kids and William had not. This was confirm when kate curtseyed to the queen when they finally arrived at the church and William did not. Because William had seen the queen prior to the service.

        This was in 2018.

      • nina says:

        He took it back.

      • PrincessK says:

        I am not sure about the significance of not wearing the blue ring but do note that she is dressed in all white which symbolises purity and cleanliness in contrast to the allegations about her husband. Wearing all white was no coincidence.

    • C says:

      Yeah, the leaving off of Big Blue may have been for any reason but the additional absence of the eternity band struck me.
      If there’s one thing we can count on Kate to do it’s wear Diana’s ring. So whenever she doesn’t, it’s exceptional.

    • Nic919 says:

      There have been many engagements over the years where she should not have worn the ring because she was either playing in dirt or the regatta event, where the ring would be a hazard, so it’s odd she wasn’t wearing it for something where she is just sitting down and watching things. So this looks like it was a recently scheduled engagement and she already had a ring cleaning set up or something. Because at the 1851 event she had the ring one when doing some activity with kids that looked to have dirt.

      I do think the closeup photos show a lot of photoshop work though. She’s got a totally smooth face and her eyes have that open scared looked that resembles the other photo that Kaiser sometimes uses from the Caribbean tour.

    • MakeEverydayCount says:

      She’s not wearing that ring and she doesn’t Fing care. If Baldy is out smelling Rose Bushes good for Kate. I said this before these two have an arrangement. But most importantly Carole has a plan….stay tune

      • C says:

        Even if she doesn’t care about William she cares about being compared to Diana so that’s why that ring is always on her finger basically.
        Carole can’t do anything at this point, lol.

      • MakeEverydayCount says:

        She has an uphill battle. I can’t see her going down without a fight. Think about it. She did everything to get Kate in front of William at school. Then she watched her daughter wait 10 years for a ring that was signature to a doomed marriage. Now she sits back and watch Baldy water bushes as he pleases to do so. I don’t believe Carole just says “I’m done” ………she has a plan. Will she be successful at the plan remains to be seen? Meanwhile, Kate smiles like a mannequin and those poor children are trapped.

      • Becks1 says:

        Carole definitely won’t go down without a fight, and the press would LOVE a messy Cambridge divorce. Sussexes who? (j/k, they’ll never stop obsessing over H&M).

        But, i think Adelaide Cottage, Kate being in charge of the kids education, and things like that are the bargain that is currently being hashed out. The messy stuff may have already happened behind the scenes.

      • Wiglet Watcher says:

        Makeeverydaycount
        Carole may have to. She has no footing here. Her business is failing. Investments are not excellent. They indulge in Freebies for access to Kate. And they are known to be in massive debt which got revealed before William reportedly gave them money for their latest home that got renovated completely and then some by taxpayer funds because Kate with George took primary residence there for over 6 months.

        No way this came without a cost. Carole could lose everything if she went after William. Including her home.

      • Lorelei says:

        At the end of the day, CarolE did manage to make herself the grandmother of the Future King.
        She certainly wouldn’t be happy about a divorce, but being the monarch’s grandparent is no small feat! And she’ll always have a firm, royal-adjacent place for the rest of her life through the grandchildren.

      • Cairidh says:

        I saw an online advert for party pieces recently that called it the business owned by the duchess of cambridges mother, clearly using the royal title and connections….. I haven’t seen them be that brazen before.

    • swirlmamad says:

      Sorry to say but she looks crazed in a lot of these pics. Botox is Botoxing — homegirl can barely blink.

      I also think if BB somehow got lost or damaged during the sailing excursion, that info would have been put out there already, because absolutely NO ONE is naive to how this is being perceived. There’s no way they can’t realize what this looks like and what people are whispering.

      • The Duchess says:

        Definitely a lot of medication flowing through those veins of hers too. She looks like a trapped mannequin, but I have no sympathy for her. She’s made her bed many times.

      • Nic919 says:

        I agree. The botox makes her eyes look shocked or scared. It’s not a normal or youthful look.

        Also look at Arthur Edwards tweets with photos of the event. There are many where the wessexes, William, and Charlotte are reacting in dismay to something they are watching, and kate is just there smiling with no other reaction.

      • Both Sides Now says:

        @ swirlmamad, no reason to be sorry. It’s blatantly obvious that she has more botox in her face that a groups of lab rats under research…..

        She looks creepy in all of her facial expressions. Does she notice how off putting she looks? Well, if she did she certainly doesn’t care.

      • Erin says:

        I definitely noticed a difference in her face when these photos came out. It just looks fuller and we know she hasn’t gained any weight.

      • Em says:

        Wow you’re right. The look in her eyes in these photos is manic. Very strange. Does botox actually cause this???

      • Wiglet Watcher says:

        Em
        It can, yes. Your face isn’t naturally reacting anymore with so much injections. Muscles and nerves won’t engage the same. You can have fewer micro expressions and need exaggerated ones for show any emotion. And we know Kate smiles a lot because when her jawline is relaxed her jowls are prominent.

      • KFG says:

        She looks drugged and on the verge of a nervous breakdown. It’s creepy. He looks happy and relaxed as does Charlotte. Kkkate doesn’t look well.

  5. Woke says:

    The white belt ruin the whole look. I don’t think there’s anything going on with her not wearing big blue. Those two have an agreement that seems to work.

    • damejudi says:

      The white belt cheapens the whole look. Either pick black or camel to coordinate with the shoe choice.

  6. BlackFemmeBot says:

    Her poor posture gives me body aches

    • FancyPants says:

      Me too! She is going to have a giant hump in 20 years. She looks positively drunk in that picture walking in front of the Range Rover.

    • BillionDollarBetty says:

      I’ve said it before and will say it again, she might have scoliosis or some other spinal or neurological disorder. It hurts a little bit every time people comment on her posture. I’d love to “just stand up straight” if I could.

      • FancyPants says:

        I see your point and I am sorry for your struggle. I think if Kate in particular had a physical reason to hunch over like that, we would have heard it by now as an excuse to get out of “working” (she definitely would not embrace it as a cause and fundraise around it as Princess Eugenie has done with her own back surgeries).

      • Billiondollarbetty says:

        @fancypants: That’s right! I didn’t even know Eugénie had scoliosis until she made a point of displaying her scar in her wedding dress. When I was diagnosed (years ago, but as an adult), I was told that the curve has to be a certain number of degrees to warrant surgery, so no doubt it had a huge impact on Eugenie’s life.

        Obviously I don’t know if Kate suffers from an “invisible” bone or nerve disorder, but it’s a possibility. Maybe an old sports injury that has caused a muscle imbalance? Those can really snowball over the years.

        Bodies are so complex. In general, I wish we all could not pick on people’s bodies so much here (absolutely NOT saying you do this, you just happened to be the comment to which I replied and where I parked my general musings).

      • katherine says:

        I don’t think it’s a disorder. I have scoliosis (wore a back brace in grade 8) and princess Eugenie has scoliosis too. I go to physio these days to work on my posture, and if I had more money, I would have gone for surgery like Eugenie had.

        I think Kate, with all the money at her disposal, would be able to get treatment/surgery/physio if her posture was due to scoliosis or some disorder. I think it’s literally just poor posture on her behalf. A lot of tall people hunch to make themselves smaller, so they don’t stand out as much. I’m pretty sure it’s just that.

      • Wiglet Watcher says:

        Billiondollarbetty
        Kate can stand straight. She has for years and still does on occasion. This is a hunch by (imo) insisting on heels and having to hunch down to speak or make eye contact. And poor muscle mass. It’s just that. Nothing like what you experience.

      • SueBarbri says:

        I’ve always suspected that William also has scoliosis. I remember seeing a photo of him years ago when he was at Eton and his shoulders looked quite uneven. I’d forgotten all about it until now.

    • Cerys says:

      I think it’s all the years of wearing ridiculously high heels all the time that has affected her posture. Wearing heels eventually takes its toll on a person’s posture.

  7. Smart&Messy says:

    Wild gestures aside, she looks pretty and youthful in these photos. I even like her hair.

    I don’t know what to think about the ring situation. She wears it constantly, even on pap pics. I am convinced she does not run around with the original everywhere, but has a good replica or two. So to me, the cleaning and repair excuse doesn’t work.
    However, if the press or social media pick up on it,they will throw out good excuse after bad excuse to explain why she didn’t wear it that one occasion. Oh and they are a very very strong couple, who are not at all separated. Especially because the monarchy would crumble without Kate, so yeah they are stronger than ever. Look, Kate got a new eternity band from William, Carole just picked it up from the jeweller for him.

    • equality says:

      The monarchy didn’t “crumble” without Diana. I doubt that Kate is that important to it.

      • SAS says:

        I think @Smart&Messy is throwing out potential headlines. We have definitely heard W couldn’t be king without K (remember she feeds him advice?!!!).

        I’m going to put on my bingo “I’m sure many working mums could relate- in the morning rush with three kids, it completely slipped her mind!! (like it ever could)”

        For any other person, including celebs, I would think this was the biggest nothing but outside of this week (sailing), has she ever been photographed without it?

      • Smart&Messy says:

        @equality
        I was going for sarcasm, just to make it clear 😀
        Yeah, if the monarchy survives Andrew and Charles’ bags of oil cash, a divorce will be a blip on the radar. These two are so dull, that not even their divorce could generate interest.

        What MIGHT drive some interest is Will back on the dating scene. He needs an “Amal” who is interested in using the platform AND the glam aspect AND rubbing shoulders with high society. HAHAHA I know, no “Amal” would ever settle for Egg, but it would be fantastic gossip.

        As for Kate, Carole probably has a plan B in case Will pulls the rug. She would go for a billionaire type, a la Miranda Kerr. Didn’t Miranda have an opening line ready, for when she gets to sit next to Snapchat Guy?

        God, these two are so boring, I come up with imaginary storylines for them…

      • Tessa says:

        Consorts have no real real security imo and born in royals or some like Andrew and Charles get away with things

      • Dollycoa says:

        I think the difference is that Charles was and probably still is in lo w with Camilla. She was the one he wanted and he was made to marry Diana. William chose Kate for the very reason that she would put up with so much while he could do what he liked. They both knew the score. Nothing has changed. He shags around as he did qhen they were dating, and she hung around and let him which she is still doing. The bonus is that they can her Himan Rights protection for their privacy and the press to cover for them, plus distractions in the form of Harry and Meghan

      • C says:

        Camilla and Charles by their own admission didn’t want to marry each other and Charles rotated several mistresses during his marriage. Obviously he cares a lot for her but I think part of her charm is she mothers him. Carole mothered William, not Kate. So now that Carole’s had to be distanced there’s even more of a strain.

      • Tessa says:

        Charles chose to marry Diana if Diana had turned him down he would have moved on to another young aristo Charles was not forced he wanted heirs Camilla even encouraged him yo marry Camilla Charles got to have his cake and eat it too he was involved with many women and did not want to marry Camilla when he first met her

  8. Hannah says:

    She’s had a whole lotta something done to her face recently 🤔 Prefacing this by saying I know sweet FA about surgical or non surgical procedures but she looks like Geri Horner (aka Ginger Spice) circa 2022 who defs has had work done

    • JP says:

      I was just thinking the same thing. I think she looks good, though a bit like a different person.

    • candy says:

      Definitely freshened up and they fixed her facial paralysis that was evident on the flop tour.

  9. Ginger says:

    Some were saying that she didn’t wear it because she could be asked to do a sporting event. What? She isn’t dressed to DO a sporting event and she has done them while wearing her ring before. She wore when she went scuba diving during their flop tour. Considering the rumors that are out, it looks bad for her to not that ring.

    • Nic919 says:

      It’s the commonwealth games where real athletes are competing so they were never going to ask her to just jump in the pool and compete. These stans are crazy. Kate works out a lot but that is not the same as being an actual athlete.

      • Lorelei says:

        @Nic, this comment, especially the mental image of her jumping into a pool while wearing an Alexander McQueen suit 😂😂

  10. Mia1066 says:

    I like the suit other than the belt. But what’s going on with her cheeks? They appear exceptionally inflated. Re big blue she always wears it (or a copy) and often shows it off in pics so this is unusual.

    And what are the hand signals??

    • garrity says:

      Her rounded cheeks and missing ring *could* be related. If she were, for example, to have been put on steroids for a medical condition, it could cause swelling of face and fingers.

      • Wiglet Watcher says:

        Yet she keeps the wedding band on? The band was reportedly sized down too for the wedding ceremony because Kate lost so much weight. It’s made with the queens private stock of welsh gold too so getting more to size up is harder than you’d think.
        Her cheeks are from fillers. I see nothing to suggest she’s on an oral steroid for a condition, personally.

      • Lorelei says:

        True, but there’s no way that Kate wouldn’t be able to get a replica in a larger size. They sell them at the palace gift shops for crying out loud! IMO it was a CHOICE to not wear it. She knew it would fuel speculation.

  11. L84Tea says:

    Whatever the reason is for not wearing it, she sure is flapping her Jazz hands a lot to make sure we all see.

    • Lorelei says:

      @L84Tea, the jazz hands are even more noticeable/distracting than usual today. She seems amped up or something.

      • L84Tea says:

        I commented somewhere below that I find her hand movements very deliberate. I’m not sure the reason behind it, but it looks like she really wants everyone to see her not wearing the ring.

  12. WithLove says:

    Chris really needs to focus on her neck when he ‘shops and retouches her. The difference is really noticeable. He also enlarged her eyes.
    Sometimes he’s subtle but lately he’s been going overboard with it. He also does Will and the kids I’ve noticed. Blurs out any under eye circles and generally just evens out their skin.

    • equality says:

      His retouching stinks. Her eyes constantly look uneven and odd.

      • Debbie says:

        The uneven eyes are usually very prominent to me, but in these photos her eyes look larger than usual. The cheeks also look much fuller than normal, but her neck doesn’t match the face. It looks a decade older than the face.

      • SourcesclosetoKate says:

        I wonder if he thinned out her face too. These ones look very different from her other images. That’s probably why she hires him, he knows just what she likes

  13. Ariel says:

    The kid is cute, her dress is adorable. I hope she had a good time.

  14. Eurydice says:

    Lol, that first pic with her hand on her stomach is like “I’m pretending this belt buckle isn’t killing me.”

    • Chrissyr says:

      Or she’s trying to signal that she may be pregnant. Or ate something bad.

      • Wiglet Watcher says:

        When I really was suffering from my ED my hand was always on my stomach. It’s comforting for a few reasons to place it there. Many others claim the same.

        And when I think about it kate didn’t rest her hand on her bump when pregnant. Not often. And mocked Meghan heavily for doing so.

      • Bromptonviewer says:

        That was my first thought. Pregnant. Steroids a definite possibility as well. The weird paralysis from the flop tour looked medical not bad tweakments. A friend’s stepmother randomly came down with Bell’s Palsy on a trip we were all on and it looked similar. She was treated with steroids. That’s not filler face as someone who doesn’t personally have fillers but has a ton of experience with them as nearly all my friends have them. As they say “it’s either your face or your a**” and I’m a bit plump so haven’t needed them.

  15. Driver8 says:

    If I were her, I wouldn’t wear that awful ring either.

    • Tessa says:

      She and her mother most likely wanted that ring

    • Tessa says:

      I remember the media made a big deal about who would get the ring I think will may have gotten an unsubtle hint from. Carole about how Kate would love the ring so will asked harry about letting Kate get the ring

      • C says:

        There were rumors William just took it from Harry.

      • Wiglet Watcher says:

        C
        The ring was traded. Harry saw no reason to keep it and William got it for a Cartier watch and a bangle.

      • C says:

        The “traded” story was published in 2010-2011 to explain why Kate was wearing the ring when Harry had chosen it originally. Then the rumors came out that William took it and only traded later.

    • Cerys says:

      That ring is cursed and should have been left in the vault after Diana died. Giving your late mother’s engagement ring to your fiancée is a lovely gesture if your parents’ marriage was a happy one not a disaster like Charles and Diana. Seeing the ring on Kate’s finger in their engagement photos is the only time I’ve ever felt sorry for her.

      • Same here. When I watched the engagement on TV, I thought Kate wearing Diana’s ring was ominous of something threatening. I read somewhere, at the time of the wedding, that a Chinese astrologer thought the ring was inauspicious.

    • candy says:

      Yeah I never liked it. It’s dark and gloomy, regardless of the value.

  16. BW says:

    Kate looks haggard. And the wiglet is very obvious even face on.

  17. Belli says:

    I know her long hair is her comfort blanket and Meghan’s is super long at the moment, but she really needs to take out the wiglets and chop about a foot off. She looks so much fresher when it frames her face. Right now, it’s just dragging her down.

    If I had the time or energy I’d list out how much W&K have done for each of their patronages. The whole point of them not having many (so they said) was so that they could do more with each of them and that really hasn’t been the case.

    • Tia says:

      I agree. I always wished she had her hair cut at her ears with a swoop. It would’ve looked nice on her. Wish she had it short like she did when she was pregnant with Louis.

    • Lorelei says:

      @Belli, you wouldn’t need much time or energy 😂

  18. Jay says:

    I think it’s very likely that she wears a duplicate out and about, and it got damaged or lost. We’ve seen her wear it scuba diving for goodness sake, it was bound to happen.

    But I have wondered if she’ll be debuting any “anniversary presents” in the form of jewelry, so maybe this will be a chance for her to get out the very thought gift that was “lovingly designed” by William ( and definitely not just picked out and bought for herself).

  19. Aurora says:

    Kate looks like she’s playing Itsy Bitsy Spider in those pics. I doubt she’s saying anything that warrants the drastic hand movements.

    • L84Tea says:

      I see it too. In my opinion, her hand movements are very purposeful. Not sure if she’s just seeking attention or trying to get some other point across, but those are very much “look at my hands closely” poses.

      • Julia K says:

        Those exaggerated hand movements are purposeful, you are right. As if she’s saying ” stay tuned for a new ring set coming soon”. New bling goes nicely with a new home.

  20. Bunny says:

    I’ve wondered several times recently if she might be pregnant. Her face seems much fuller, for one thing.

    If so, she may have swelling that temporarily prevents her from. wearing the ring.

    • Julia K says:

      If she were pregnant she’d have hyperemesis again and be calling in sick.

    • jean says:

      It’s called fillers & botox Bunny.

    • Poppy says:

      She looks great — either pregnant (doubtful) or her face is filled to the brim with Juverderm or some such. If she put on ten or even twenty pounds she’d get back her youthful fullness without injecting chemicals.

    • swirlmamad says:

      I highly doubt that she’d be magically cured of her HG this time around after being afflicted with every other pregnancy — we’re seeing her MORE these days, not less. She’d be a ghost if she were pregnant, which she most decidedly is not.

    • Em says:

      I was under the impression pregnant women shouldn’t get Botox etc….(I definitely don’t know for sure).

  21. Amy Bee says:

    She actually looks better without that monstrosity on her hand.

  22. Mina_Esq says:

    This is honestly the most normal they’ve ever looked. If I didn’t know better, I could easily have mistaken Kate for a professional mum going straight from work to an event. And I love that Charlotte loves gymnastics. They ARE letting the kids do normal kid stuff! Girls that age love acro and gymnastics.

    • MMadison says:

      Charlotte’s a buffer for her parents pubic imagine. That is not normal.

    • Becks1 says:

      Didn’t they meet with gymnasts? The kids always love whatever it is the parents are doing – its the parents one talking point. “oh charlotte is just so into X right now.”

  23. Laura D says:

    IMHO it’s just another way of getting attention! Kate has been around long enough to know what grabs headlines and not wearing “the” ring will get her noticed. This is probably her way of letting the world knows she’s seen the gossip on twitter; is upset but, is willing to put on a brave face. It’s a win-win for her. 1. She’s stoically standing by her man; 2. She once again becomes a victim and will get the sympathy she thinks she deserves; 3. She’s putting “duty” before her own feelings! As far fetched as all this may seem, that woman is so manipulative I wouldn’t put anything past her.

    I’m still of the opinion Sporty Barbie will stay in that marriage whatever it takes. They may or may not be separated; it doesn’t matter; there is no way that woman will willingly walk away from the throne. The ring is probably in the cleaners and will be spotted on her finger when she’s garnered enough attention/sympathy.

    ETA: Charlotte looks more and more like TQ every time I see her.

    • Saucy&Sassy says:

      Laura D, but does she really think that people will just sympathize with her rather than think she’s crazy to stay with him? If she wants sympathy, she needs to be shouting about a separation right now. Otherwise, she just accepts the affairs and loses respect.

    • Lorelei says:

      @Laura, it might sound far-fetched, but i agree with you that it’s definitely plausible. We know that Kate always wants attention, and we know she’s manipulativeAF. I wouldn’t put anything past either William or Kate at this point.

  24. Harper says:

    Aug. 1 start date for the new separation contract going into effect? Solo residences, solo arrivals, Kate had to hand over the ring because it stays in the royal family? I feel that behind the scenes, everything is discussed and hammered out contractually regarding their public image. Maybe they are both okay with a slow rollout of their new arrangement and are ready for the public to start putting two and two together. The blame for their marriage troubles will be put on the stress they both suffered from the Sussexes leaving anyway.

    • Mrs. Smith says:

      ITA — it is SUPER odd that K suddenly isn’t wearing Big Blue?? For more than 11 years, it’s been practically superglued to her finger and now, at an event where it would be totally expected, it’s not there. August 1 seems to have some significance, as you point out. All of the other strangeness (separate arrivals, appearance of separate living arrangements, kids behavior and more) add up to their separation is real. It’s a little jolting now that it really seems to be happening.

      • Julia K says:

        @harper; handing over the ring? I cannot believe that Wm would stool that low, this would be over the top, even for him. Kate will never part with that ring or with her long range goal of being POW.

      • swirlmamad says:

        @Julia, I actually COULD totally see Will taking the ring back if they were to split. It was probably written into any prenup that was drawn up. Think about it, that isn’t any old ring — it’s one of the most famous pieces of jewelry in the world (along with being the most cursed). Highly doubt Kate would get to take it to wear whenever she wants in her post-royal life (or more likely turn it into a different piece of gaudy jewelry.

    • Lorelei says:

      Harper that’s such a good point! I hadn’t considered the timing, but it absolutely makes sense.

      I am SO SO curious as to what is actually going on BTS! And I hope that whatever is happening, they’re doing everything they can to make it as painless as possible for the kids and putting the well-being of the children first.
      Thank goodness that Nanny Maria seems to have been a steady, constant presence for as long as any of them can remember.

  25. Bonsai Mountain says:

    Her face looks totally different? Is she doing Meghan’s eye makeup now? Lord.

  26. k.tate says:

    I still remember the awkward interview when they were engeged. The interviewer asked her if she was nervous about wearing the ring or something along those lines and Willi said something like: she’d better take care of it… I don’t remember the exact words but I never forget how that interaction made me feel. Way before I had any background on him, back when he was the most sought after prince, when Harry was said to be the bumbling idiot. I came away from that interview thinking he was an ass.

    • C says:

      LOL I remember it, I had to go back and rewatch it. She says “I just hope I look after it, it’s very special”.
      William was super self-satisfied and even kind of gave the game away by talking about a different breakup than the 2007 one. He also seemed very annoyed at the idea she would be like Diana.

      • Beach Dreams says:

        😂 She looked SO pissed when he started talking about a different breakup. It made me wonder how many more breakups they’ve had that weren’t public like the 07 one.

      • Harper says:

        Also in the interview, William describes their engagement in Africa, but then when asked about how her mom found out about the news, Kate says that when she got back from Scotland she was looking at her mom, trying to figure out if she already knew or not because she knew William had asked her dad.

        There was always talk that William stole his friend’s engagement story, which was exactly the same taking place in Africa. Kate slipped up by saying she came back from Scotland instead of Africa which lends credence to the stealing the story rumor.

      • candy says:

        Yeah he talked about the first big breakup when they finished college, not the one in 2007. But I don’t necessarily judge them for that. They were really young when they started dating.

        @Harper I do think she slipped by saying she had returned from Scotland, that story didn’t really add up. It also showed that they were just traveling for months at a time, she wasn’t hampered by any kind of work schedule. I think they were engaged by August of that year, not October, and that they told a fake story in the interview.

      • Cairidh says:

        When they were dating Kate regularly broke up with him for cheating. Most of the time she turned a blind eye but every so often she’d break up with and get him to chase her for a while (“make him chase me until I catch him”). A palace courtier said she alternated between making herself always available for him, always there for him, and playing hard to get. She went back and forth between the two. Perfect girlfriend full on effort to please him, take it all away play hard to get.. back and forth, back and forth.
        One of Williams friends said they were always in or out. (Always breaking up, or getting back together). Another said she never had any intention of letting him go.

        The two breakups that were made public, were when William ended it with her. When Kate broke up with him, she never had any intention of breaking up, she was just playing games.

    • candy says:

      He was a total ass to her the whole interview, basically said he had to find the motivation to propose to his girlfriend of 10 years and that he didn’t notice her until they were living together and banging. Also, I don’t think he even referred to her by name. If she were my daughter, I’d have been horrified.

  27. Beach Dreams says:

    Eh…I think she just left it at home knowing that it would make people talk. I think it’s quite funny that despite wearing an all white suit (again) and leaving Big Blue, she was completely snubbed by the front pages of the papers. It was all Charlotte with *one* paper deigning to have a shot with William in it as well. But no photos of Kate at all, which is unusual for the media.

  28. Kelsey says:

    That girl’s posture is TERRIBLE.

  29. Rapunzel says:

    She didn’t just not wear big blue. She didn’t wear her eternity band either. This was either a scheduled cleaning, or a deliberate act to punish Prince Pegs-A-Lot by making people talk. Or, maybe the two of them would rather people talk divorce than his kinky sex fetishes.

    Also, what is with people thinking Kate wears a copy of big blue? She absolutely does not! We know she doesn’t because the ring is not sized properly for her and half the time, the gem turns around into the back of her hand. Numerous photos show this.

  30. Deanne from Canada says:

    Unrelated to BB… but I cannot help but notice how HAPPY and relaxed Will looks. It’s like a big conundrum has been settled and you can see it in his posture. He is giving off “chill dad (daddy) vibes”. Either he has a satisfying side piece situation or he is on the hunt for one and is free and clear ….

  31. Sarah says:

    Kate’s sitting with her legs crossed—remember the headlines when Meghan dared to that?

  32. Eggbert says:

    Anytime Khate is doing her hysterical laughing/guffaw-ing/hee-haw thing, I look around the picture at everyone else’s reactions to see if something occurred that could possibly warrant such a big laugh and the answer is always no

  33. Sasha says:

    Unrelated to the post but.. is this the best Kate has looked in a while? The white suit looks great, hair looks great. I’m liking it!

    • Siobhan says:

      I tend to agree – her cheeks look filled out a little more – maybe filler? Whatever it is, it looks pretty good. And I do like her hair here as well. Wiglets or whatever it is, who cares, it looks good.

  34. candy says:

    I noticed she wasn’t wearing it at the sailing events either, which makes sense. But she would typically wear it to an event like this one.

  35. tamsin says:

    Is it possible that Kate’s open-mouthed smile/grin is a result of botox? A friend of mine once told me she regretted getting botox because it changed her smile to a grimace because the lower half of her face felt frozen. She eventually decided to let her face take its natural course and she still always looks good.

  36. Jaded says:

    Her face looks so different…not just from photoshopping. I think she’s had a liquid facelift. It’s the latest thing to plump up sagging skin, and being so thin and muscular there’s not much fat under her skin. So the result is a “moon face” on top of a skinny body. In any event, maybe she’s shopping for a lover now that it’s apparent she and Willnot are pretty much living separate lives. I do think not wearing BB is her way of subtly telegraphing this as she seems to be placing her hand deliberately to show her ring finger in those photos.

  37. katherine says:

    Also, look at the header photo! William isn’t wearing his wedding band either. Missing big blue, Charlotte arriving separately from Kate with a duffel bag, Charlotte’s expression in the header photo… if that isn’t the portrait of a child stuck between two fighting parents, I don’t know what is.

    • candy says:

      William has never worn a wedding band, that was a story back when they married. But it’s super weird that they arrive separately all the time. I feel bad for their kids if they have to keep the separation a secret.

    • Siobhan says:

      Where did you see that Charlotte came with a duffle bag – and also, where is everyone seeing that they arrived separately? I havent been able to find that anywhere.

      • Cerys says:

        You should be able to find footage on YouTube or Twitter of William and Charlotte arriving by helicopter. The car containing Kate pulls up alongside it when it lands. Charlotte exits on the far side but you can see her holding a pink bag and running over to the car as if she hasn’t seen her mum for a few days.

      • Feeshalori says:

        Take a look at the link at the beginning of the comments.

  38. Katya says:

    HAHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

    Those flats …..

    Can she be any more obvious?

  39. Saucy&Sassy says:

    Hmmmm…it appears that she subdued those caterpillars. Her brows look much better here. Is there a reason for the belt? Is she wearing a tank top? She should have just left it untucked and not worn a belt.

    I find it more than interesting that the bm didn’t have her on the front pages. She may have thought if she didn’t wear BB that it would center her in the pictures. Now, that’s the most interesting thing about all of this.

  40. jferber says:

    Maybe Kate “talks” with her hands so much because all she can speak with her mouth is gibberish? And garbled/unintelligible gibberish at that? (fake posh accent/small vocabulary/nothing meaningful to say, etc.) And I approve very much if this is how William dresses Charlotte (or has nannies that pick out her clothes and help to dress her). She finally looks like the normal, adorable little girl she is.

  41. Cairidh says:

    Kates first public appearance with William since he became world famous, so to speak, and she’s not wearing the ring she always wears, even scuba diving…..

    Maybe she was embarrassed and wants people to think she’s not with him anymore…

    Or maybe Carol released the story to make people think they’re still a couple… so why no ring? Maybe they’re trying to negotiate for something…. Kate will only play devoted wife and happy families if she gets what she wants.

  42. Duchess Kate looks so beautiful. I admire her very much.

  43. The Duchess has always been my ideal figure. I love her and her family.

  44. Kate is never a good role model for aspiring girls. She’s lazy as can be and never worked in her life. And this has not put her in good stead for the biggest role in her life. She’s been outed as a doormat.