Princess Kate’s Two Accessories on Hike For Cancer Charity Reveal Where She 'Finds Her Strength'
Kate's choice of just two simple accessories offers a rare glimpse into what matters most to her.
Kate Middleton became the first member of the royal family to complete the Three Peaks Challenge — hiking through 3 of the highest mountain peaks in the UK in 24 hours. From Ben Nevis in Scotland, to Scafell Pike in England, and finally, Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in Wales, she climbed all three peaks by herself in support of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Fitted out in hiking gear from head to toe, the Princess of Wales kept things minimal on the fashion front. A no-makeup look and just two simple accessories to take along with her on the journey. And it was the choice of these two accessories that really caught the eye of fans and experts alike.
According to Middleton, she undertook the Three Peaks Challenge “to explore life beyond diagnosis and to give something back.” In a photo posted by the official Instagram account of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Middleton can be seen wearing a jacket with its hood up and a cap on top of her head. She also had a hiking stick to help her through the rocky terrain.
And amid all the practical gear, she had two sentimental items that she carried with her on this trek — her iconic sapphire and diamond engagement ring, a piece once worn by none other than her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, and the Annoushka eternity ring, which was a gift from Prince William following the birth of Prince George in 2013.
Speaking to InStyle, the founder of Abelini, Nilesh Rakholia, delved into the choice of accessories made by the Princess and discussed what it meant that she decided to keep them with her on this hike — a challenge she took on to show she is still strong after two of the most physically, mentally, and emotionally draining years of her life.
Rakholia said, “What struck me most about the Princess of Wales completing the Three Peaks Challenge was not what she left behind. It was what she kept… She stripped everything back. No styling, no occasion dressing, no performance of status. And yet, she kept her rings. That is not an accident. That is instinct, and instinct tells you everything.”
Speaking about her sapphire engagement ring, he said, “This ring has accompanied Catherine through her own cancer diagnosis, through treatment at the Royal Marsden, and now up the three highest peaks in Britain in 24 hours. There is something quietly extraordinary about that. Fine jewelry is so often discussed in terms of occasions, as something you wear to be seen. But the pieces that truly matter are the ones you wear when no one is supposed to be looking. The ones you do not take off.”
He added, “She carried her family up every one of those peaks. Catherine is at her most visible and her most vulnerable in this moment simultaneously. She chose to be seen completely unadorned: no makeup, no styling, nothing that signals status or occasion. And in that context, the fact that she kept these two rings is everything. In a world where women are photographed constantly, choosing to be seen with nothing but the rings that mark the people you love is its own kind of statement.”
“It tells you everything about where she finds her strength,” he concluded. “Family. Always family.” That sentiment came to life at the end of her grueling trek, where she was greeted by her ultimate support system: Prince William, their children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, her parents, Michael and Carole, and her brother James.
