Princess Kate Raised Eyebrows By Wearing Princess Diana's Priceless Ring During This Risky Vacation Activity

It was a choice.

Kate Middleton wearing tortoise print sunglasses and a pink dress standing in front of a palm tree
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Let's face it, plenty of women never take their engagement rings or wedding rings off, even while showering or at the beach. However, most of us aren't flaunting a priceless royal heirloom. And even though Princess Kate is, in fact, the owner of such a ring, she once caused a bit of a stir after wearing Princess Diana's iconic sapphire design underwater.

Yes, the Princess of Wales actually went scuba diving with her enormous sapphire and diamond engagement ring back in 2022, as revealed in a video the prince and princess shared on social media at the time.

Kate, dressed in a short-sleeved black wetsuit with shorts (and her incredible ring), joined Prince William for an underwater adventure during their Caribbean tour. While visiting the Bahamas, the couple joined one of Prince William's Earthshot Prize winners, Coral Vita, to learn more about its work during a diving excursion.

"I hope we can prevent the complete collapse of coral reefs. I will say, you wouldn’t catch me snorkeling with such an iconic ring on my finger!" one fan commented on YouTube, while another added, "I see the sapphire on the Princess' hand and I think ooo don't lose it 🫣."

Kate Middleton diving in a black wetsuit while grabbing coral

The Princess of Wales wore her engagement ring while scuba diving in 2022.

(Image credit: The Prince and Princess of Wales/Instagram)
The Prince and Princess of Wales go diving with 2021 #EarthshotPrize winner Coral Vita - YouTube The Prince and Princess of Wales go diving with 2021 #EarthshotPrize winner Coral Vita - YouTube
Watch On

The story has resurfaced after the Prince and Princess of Wales jetted off to the Caribbean island of Mustique for a family getaway over the weekend.

Prince George, Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte are on their half-term break from school, and William and Kate decided to skip the 2025 BAFTAs in favor of a relaxing trip together. Although it's unclear where the couple are staying this year, in the past they've rented the ultra-posh Villa Antilles, which goes for a casual $42,000 per week and includes a private butler and chef.

It's likely the couple—and new diving enthusiast Prince George—are taking in the sport while visiting Mustique, as it's known for its excellent scuba diving. Of particular interest to environmental champion Prince William would be its coral restoration project, which the island's official website details at length.

The island is also the perfect place to go sailing, a sport that the famously competitive couple has taken on during multiple royal engagements over the years. Kate even had a job as a low-paying deck hand before heading off to college—and likely never imagined she'd one day be sporting Diana's ring while exploring the Caribbean seas one day.

Kristin Contino
Senior Royal and Celebrity Editor

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.