Instead of a traditional portrait, Princess Kate released a new video to mark her 44th birthday on January 9, and along with her country casual outfit, her sapphire engagement ring played a starring role in the short film.
The winter-themed video is the last part of her Mother Nature series, which has featured a short film reflecting on the changes brought with each season of the year. In one scene, the Princess of Wales dips her hand into a stream, revealing a green ribbed sweater and her iconic engagement ring, which once belonged to Princess Diana.
Nilesh Rakholia, jewelry expert and Founder of Abelini, notes that the final Mother Nature chapter was strikingly considered from a jewelry perspective. "Catherine’s ring is already one of the most emotionally charged pieces of modern royal jewelry," he says. "Placing it in a context of healing and reflection reframes it as part of her lived experience, not just her public role."
Calling nature a "quiet teacher," the Princess of Wales says in the video that during her time outdoors she's found herself feeling "deeply grateful," adding "the rivers within us flow with ease, fears washed away."
Showing her engagement ring entering the water has a symbolic association, according to Rakholia.
"Water has long been associated with transition and renewal," he says. "Seeing a ring so tied to memory and lineage immersed in that setting felt quietly meaningful. It suggests movement rather than preservation, which is rare for a piece with this level of cultural inheritance."
The Princess of Wales doesn't always wear her sapphire ring, like on January 8, when she paid a surprise visit to Charing Cross Hospital in London. While she only wore her Welsh gold wedding band to the hospital, she's chosen at times to layer it with a stack of diamond bands instead, along with a slim sapphire and diamond design.
In the "Winter" video, Kate once again wore her ring stack, with Rakholia calling the stack "modern and unfussy." He added the look "reads as personal rather than ceremonial"—an ideal choice for a quiet time of reflection.
