The Hidden Meaning Behind Prince Charles' Pinky Ring
From Meghan Markle's dainty bracelets to Kate Middleton's trusty pair of boots, there's always a lot of chatter surrounding the royal family's fashion choices. And yet after all these years, one key style detail has been vastly overlooked: Prince Charles' pinky ring. The gold piece was particularly noticeable during his visits across Wales this week.
Of course, this isn't a new addition to Charles' look. The Prince has been photographed wearing the ring since the mid-70s. Here's a picture of the future king flaunting the band during his and Princess Diana's engagement shoot in 1981.
He also wore the ring at his wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles back in 2005:
So, what's up with the monarch's pinky bling? It's called a signet ring, and is often referred to as a "gentleman's ring." The tradition goes back to the days of the Old Testament, Bloomberg reports. Even though they're not as prominent today as they once were, the ring can symbolize a personal signature and family heritage, or to note your social status.
“Signet rings have been around since people wore jewelry,” Beatrice Behlen, senior curator of fashion and decorative arts at the Museum of London, told Bloomberg.
“I believe they became more popular with the rise of the bourgeoisie. Members of the middle class would not have a coat of arms, so having a signet ring would be a prominent sign to show that you are of a higher class.”
According to the blog He Spoke Style, the signet ring is traditionally worn on the pinky finger of the non-dominant hand. The Queen's son does put his own flair on it, though. If you look closely, you'll see that the Prince of Wales stacks his signet ring with his wedding band (instead of wearing it on his ring finger), which is simply a statement of personal preference.
While this style of jewelry was perhaps intended for men, women are no strangers to signet rings. In fact, as the Telegraph has reported, Princess Diana was a fan and wore her own back in 1988.
The Duchess of Cambridge's family has also held signet rings dear to their hearts after her marriage to the Duke of Cambridge. The blog From Berkshire to Buckingham points out that the Middleton family was granted a Coat of Arms right before Kate and Will tied the knot, and the family (sans Kate's father, Michael) have all been spotted wearing the crest on their pinkies.
While we likely won't see Will or Kate rocking one of these in the future (Prince William doesn't even wear a wedding ring), perhaps Harry and Meghan will don a gold piece on their little fingers. After all, the royal family is obsessed with tradition.
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