Princess Kate's Jewelry for Charity Climbing Challenge Shows Where She "Finds Her Strength," Says Jewelry Expert

Princess Kate tackled three mountains in 24 hours as she raised money and awareness for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, and although she dressed in rugged gear for the challenge, the future Queen kept her accessories royally on brand. The Princess of Wales, 44, climbed the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales between Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28, and her jewelry sent a message about what matters most.

Wearing an olive green jacket by hunting brand Härkila with a Fjällräven baseball cap and hiking pants, the Princess of Wales “stripped everything back” for the challenge with “no occasion dressing,” says Nilesh Rakholia, engagement ring expert and founder of Abelini.

“And yet she kept her rings,” he adds. “That is not an accident. That is instinct, and instinct tells you everything.”

The Princess of Wales walked 23 miles and climbed 10,052 feet during the National Three Peaks Challenge, wearing her iconic sapphire and diamond engagement ring that originally belonged to Princess Diana.

“Catherine asked Diana's ring to sit beside her through cancer, through recovery, and now through one of the most physically and emotionally demanding things she has ever done publicly,” Rakholia says. “That tells you everything about where she finds her strength. Family. Always family.”

Although she’s been wearing a thick ring stack recently, including her Welsh gold wedding band, a sapphire and diamond ring, and two diamond bands, it appears that she wore just one diamond band along with her engagement ring in a photo shared by the princess on Instagram.

One of her diamond rings was given to Kate by Prince William after Prince George was born in 2013, and Rakholia notes, “That is not jewelry as adornment. That is jewelry as a talisman. She carried her family up every one of those peaks.”

Along with her rings, the Princess of Wales wore one of her favorite pairs of earrings from Welsh-based small business Spells of Love. The tiny gold hoops feature a dangling garnet charm, and royal and celebrity-favorite jeweler Logan Hollowell tells Marie Claire that Kate’s January birthstone “carries a deeply personal significance.”

“Garnet symbolizes strength, protection, and resilience, so seeing Princess Kate wear her birthstone during such a meaningful challenge feels especially fitting,” Hollowell says. “It's a beautiful reminder that jewelry can tell a story beyond its beauty.”

As for Kate's hiking challenge, she said that her own cancer journey inspired her to take on the climb. “Healing, whether personal or collective, is not just about fixing what is wrong. It is about finding balance in how we live,” she wrote on Instagram.