bitchy | Princess Kate didn’t wear her engagement ring for her first event of 2026

Here are more photos from the Prince and Princess of Wales’s Thursday outing to Charing Cross Hospital in London. They were apparently there to “thank” NHS workers, especially given that the holiday season and start of 2026 has been brutal with the flu, coronavirus and norovirus. It would have been such a big public health statement if William and Kate wore masks during their hospital visit, alas, they did not. I feel like I should probably pull out my old masks, I’m extremely scared of getting this year’s flu, which sounds particularly awful.

In recent years, there are moments where Kate seems especially zonked out and other moments where she just seems to be excessively exuberant for no apparent reason. At the hospital yesterday, she was laughing hysterically, gawping and jazz-handing like crazy. Maybe she was just naturally ecstatic. Like, yay, they let me leave the house for the first time in two weeks! The royal reporters kept emphasizing that Kate was added to this visit “at the last minute” and that it was a “surprise.” I still don’t know why they do that. Also a surprise? Kate left Big Blue at home. She did wear her wedding band though.

Kate Middleton left her engagement ring at home during a surprise outing with Prince William. On Jan. 8, the Princess of Wales made an unannounced appearance and joined her husband to visit Charing Cross Hospital in west London. The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43, are joint patrons of NHS Charities Together and made the stop to spotlight the work of NHS staff and volunteers, who are meeting an increased demand on services during the winter months.

Princess Kate popped in a tailored maroon suit with a burgundy blouse and complementary accessories. However, she opted to wear just one ring instead of her usual stack for her first royal appearance of the new year. A close look showed that the royal wore only her Welsh gold wedding band.

The move marked a departure from her recent jewelry style, as the Princess of Wales started wearing a stack of rings in 2024 and continued layering the bling in 2025.

However, there was likely a practical reason behind why she wore just one ring for the hospital stop on Thursday. The royal may have been respecting common hospital policy to keep jewelry to a minimum to reduce the spread of germs.

[From People]

LMAO, “the Princess of Wales started wearing a stack of rings in 2024…” Yes, thanks for the timeline! Kate saw Meghan’s ring stack and said ME TOO, I CAN DO THAT TOO! As for her missing sapphire… she’s removed her engagement ring regularly in recent years. As someone who isn’t a fan of Ring Watch, I actually think Kate makes a point of removing Big Blue to start conversations and create buzz around her appearance.

What else? Kate introduced someone to her husband and she just called him “William,” without using his titles or anything. Scandalous. Kate also said “I know” when told that patients and visitors can sit in the hospital for hours.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.