For years, Charles III has never taken off a special ring that bears a secret symbol
King Charles III always wears a gold signet ring on the little finger of his left hand, which has become a symbol of his royal heritage and personal tradition. The ring features the official emblem of the Prince of Wales and the German motto “Ich Dien,” which means “I serve.” Charles received this ring from his uncle, Prince Edward.
The real reason King Charles always wears the ring on his little finger has nothing to do with fashion, although he has worn it for over half a century and it appears in virtually all official photographs. It is a matter of heritage, where what is passed down is not merely an object, but a title and a history immortalized in metal.
This signet ring is a type of jewelry whose roots stretch back to ancient times, when such rings were used to make impressions in hot wax when authenticating documents. It served as a signature even before the concept of a signature emerged in its modern sense.
The King’s signet ring features the heraldic emblem of the Prince of Wales: three ostrich feathers rising from a crown and encircled by a ribbon bearing the inscription “Ich Dien” (German for “I serve”). This emblem and motto have belonged to the Prince of Wales since the 14th century, when they first became associated with Edward, the Black Prince.
The ring is believed to be made of Welsh gold—a material that has been used for royal wedding rings since the wedding of the future Queen Mother in 1923. Jewelry experts and royal observers report that the ring originally belonged to the king’s great-uncle, Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne in 1936. Edward himself held the title of Prince of Wales until his brief reign, and the ring subsequently passed to the next holder of that title.
Photographs show that it has been a constant presence on the king’s hand since the mid-1970s: in photos from his engagement to Princess Diana in 1981, at their wedding in July of that year, at his wedding to Queen Camilla in 2005, and at his coronation in May 2023.
It’s worth noting one more detail: his wedding band is worn on the same finger, beneath his signet ring. According to available information, this was also the case during his first marriage—the wedding band was worn beneath the signet ring on the little finger of his left hand, rather than on the traditional ring finger.
Even after his coronation, Charles III—who passed the title of Prince of Wales to his son—still wears this signet ring on his little finger. He has never taken it off, and no one at the palace has ever asked why.
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