Have you ever noticed King Charles's pinky ring? Here's what it means—and why he's been wearing it for more than five decades.
The Real Reason King Charles Always Wears a Pinky Ring
Updated on Apr. 10, 2025
The late Queen Elizabeth II’s brightly colored outfits, Kate’s stunning transformation from college student to Princess of Wales, and, of course, Princess Diana’s iconic style choices—when it comes to fashion and the British royals, it’s usually the ladies that stand out. But have you ever noticed that King Charles has sported a fashionable detail that he rarely leaves home without? He’s been wearing it for a whopping five decades, so if you take a close look at nearly any picture of Britain’s monarch, you might notice what we’re talking about: King Charles’s pinky ring!
The piece seems so important to him that he even wears it on the same finger as his wedding ring. But what, exactly, makes it so special? British jewelry expert Helen Dimmick, who makes and sells similar rings, talks us through the symbolism of pinky rings in the royal family and Charles’s model, in particular. We bet you won’t guess what it was originally invented for! Read on to find out.
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What is the ring King Charles wears on his pinky?
King Charles’s pinky ring is technically called a signet ring. These types of rings date back to as early as 3500 B.C. and were originally used for authorizing transactions or signing documents. “The ring had your family crest or code of arms engraved,” says Dimmick. “You would press it into hot wax and then on the paper or document—it would leave a permanent mark.”
King Charles’s signet ring is believed to be made of Welsh gold, a material the royals have used for their wedding bands since the queen mother married the Duke of York, George VI, in 1923. Dimmick describes it as “comfortable, precious, very raw and of the color of the sun”—perfect for royal family signet rings. Charles’s signet ring, she says, features “the Prince of Wales’s heraldic badge of three ostrich feathers emerging from a gold coronet, and a ribbon engraving saying Ich Dien, meaning ‘I serve’ in German, a reminder of his role.” (FYI, the British royal family has quite a bit of German royal lineage in its family tree, so this isn’t as random as it may sound.)
According to Maxwell Stone, creative director of British jewelry house Steven Stone, Charles’s ring is roughly 175 years old and worth about ÂŁ4,000 ($5,100). The designer is not known.
What does King Charles’s pinky ring symbolize?
While no longer needed for the authorization of documents, a signet ring remains “a symbol of status, power and wealth that instantly identifies its wearer as a member of the higher class,” Dimmick says. Given that Charles is king, this seems like a great match. After all, you really can’t climb any higher than that on the social ladder! And while signet rings might not be that common in the U.S., Dimmick stresses that they are “very British, and most people [there] will recognize them.” So, just like the British crown jewels, King Charles’s signet ring is another symbol of his role and the power of the monarchy.
That being said, signet rings are not exclusive to royalty. As Dimmick notes, they are also “fashion pieces for wealthy upper-class British men and women.” Men, she adds, typically receive their rings when they turn 21, as they are also “very much a symbol of coming of age.” This was also the case with King Charles. (More on that below.)
Now, Charles always wears the ring on his left finger. Is that another bit of hidden symbolism? Not really. According to Dimmick, signet rings are “always worn on the little finger of whatever is the least dominant side.” So if there’s any message in that at all, it’s just proof that King Charles is right-handed.
What is the history of royal signet rings?
Signet rings originated in ancient Egypt and Greece around 3500 B.C., but they started being associated with British aristocrats and royalty in the 19th century. Around that time, they also lost their original purpose as a portable version of a seal, Dimmick says. “It was replaced by signatures, but the ring lived on as a fashionable status symbol,” she explains. While it’s not entirely clear which royal put the first one on his pinky, Dimmick believes it was most likely Edward VIII, the man who later passed the ring on to Charles.
Signet rings with engraved crests were originally worn only by men, but in the 1970s and 1980s, things changed. Then, it became fashionable for wealthy women—royal or not—to sport them too. These days, even for those not (yet) in royal circles, these rings may be used as a substitute for a wedding ring, Dimmick adds, though they are always worn on the pinky finger.
How long has King Charles been wearing this signet ring?
King Charles has been pictured wearing his golden signet ring since the mid-1970s. He was just 9 years old when his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made him Prince of Wales, but back then, he was too young to wear the precious piece. In the 1970s, he received it as a gift from his uncle, Prince Edward, the Duke of Windsor, who was the Prince of Wales before he became king in 1936 (and abdicated the throne the same year to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson).
While we don’t know if Charles also wears the piece when spending time at home, he always seems to wear it in public, like when he’s doing royal “walkabouts” and meeting citizens. Of course, you’ll also see it in pictures of important occasions in his life, such as his coronation day, Queen Elizabeth’s funeral and his wedding with Camilla.
Most people assumed this pinky ring would be passed on to Prince William when Charles became king in 2022 and William became the new Prince of Wales, Dimmick says. However, that didn’t happen, and Charles continues to wear the signature piece. “It seems to have great personal value for Charles, and William doesn’t seem too keen on wearing jewelry anyway,” Dimmick says. “So we can only guess that it may skip William’s generation and go straight to Prince George one day.”
What other jewelry does King Charles wear?
When taking a closer look at King Charles’s jewelry preferences, it quickly becomes clear that he’s not a huge fan—the only exception are his wedding rings. Ever since he married Queen Camilla in 2005, he has sported a subtle gold wedding band on his left pinky. You might not always see it, though, as he tends to wear it underneath his signet ring.
Hiding his wedding ring and putting it on his pinky finger seems to be a bit of a tradition for Charles: He did the same when he married Princess Diana in 1981. Charles took off the ring after their divorce in 1996, but he reportedly put it back on a year later out of respect after she died. He only let go of it for good in 2005 when he announced his plans to marry Camilla, his partner of 30-plus years at that point.
Do any of the other royal men wear signet rings?
King Charles isn’t the only member of the British royal family who has a signet ring: His father, Prince Philip, wore the ring of his father, Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark; Prince Edward, Duke of Edinburgh, has a similar piece; and Prince Andrew reportedly also wears one. Prince William and Prince Harry, however, haven’t been spotted with a power ring so far.
Their wives, on the other hand, have, proving that signet rings are no longer just for men. Both Princess Kate and Meghan Markle proudly sport the precious pieces. And even the Middleton clan—specifically, Kate’s parents, sister and brother—have been wearing signet rings since they were granted a coat of arms just before Kate married into the royal household. Princess Diana also had one, a gift from Charles just before their wedding.
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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of stories on the British royal family, providing a behind-the-scenes look at the fascinating facets of the monarchy. We regularly cover topics including the latest royal news, the history and meaning behind time-honored traditions, and the everyday quirks of everyone’s favorite family members, from Queen Elizabeth’s daily snack to Prince William’s confessions about his home life. We’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece on King Charles’s pinky ring, Astrid Hofer tapped her experience as a London-based journalist with more than 20 years of experience covering topics including the British royal family. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Helen Dimmick, a British jewelry specialist, gemologist and diamond grader; Zoom interview, March 25, 2025
- Town & Country: “The fascinating history behind the British royal family’s favorite ring”
- Tatler: “Is the signet ring actually the ultimate aristocratic accessory? Just ask King Charles, Dexter Mayhew or a character from Saltburn“
- BBC: “King Charles III: From Prince of Wales to the throne”
- BBC: “A Royal crisis: The shocking moment King Edward VIII announced his abdication to the nation”
- Metro: “The ‘symbolic’ reason King Charles always wears a gold signet ring”
- Crisscut Magazine: “The sentimentality behind King Charles III’s signet ring”
- The Standard: “Charles casts off wedding ring”
- Grazia: “Why does King Charles wear his wedding ring on his pinky finger?”
