Prince William: No wedding ring

[Larrabee]

Larrabee, I think what TamJamB is saying is that it doesn't matter whose side you (or anyone else) is on.

What matters is that when two people have directly opposing, strongly-held beliefs, there are times when a compromise actually is impossible.  There is no compromise -- there is only one person (or both people) deciding to give in and "lose" something that is important to them.  Compromise implies that both parties can be happy with the solution.  Sometimes, that actually is not possible, even if both parties accept the ultimate solution.

LOL  This is exactly what I meant.  Dindrane said in one paragraph what I wasn't able to get across in three lo-ong posts!  Good job!

Ok, well, then its not something I feel the need to get into, I've never mentioned compromise and I'm not quite sure how we've got here! 

[Winterlight]

I am all for military pilots not wearing rings.... I hate FOD walks for when those punks lose it when they put it in their flight suit.

FOD walk?

[afbluebelle]

FOD = Foreign Object Damage (to planes)

Basically, Captain Dudeguy drops ring... Can't find it.  We all have to walk out to the flightline and walk reeeeeeaaaaallllly slow looking for the ring, then search the jet, then possible impound the jet.  All a giant pain in the neck.

You aren't supposed to wear jewelry while working on/operating aircraft for this reason.

[Sharnita]

I would imagine a loose ring (or anything else) flying around the cockpit at a crucial moment or getting into the engine or somethign could be very, very bad.

[Winterlight]

Ah, I see- yeah, that would put a hitch in the getalong. 

[scotcat]

I think it's traditional for the men in the royal family not to wear rings--there was some media coverage of this at Charles and Diana's wedding. Diana got a wedding ring, but if you watch the videos of the Charles/Diana wedding, there are no vows that involve her putting a wedding ring on Charles' finger. However, I have a very dim memory that Diana did quietly shove a wedding ring on Charles' hand at some point in the ceremony, but there was nothing said about it--and I could be completely wrong about this.

I'm sure you are right, I read that Charles wore a wedding ring above his signet ring. So did Prince Andrew. Traditionally, Royal men do not wear wedding rings, with the exception of Prince Michael of Kent. When this was noticed, there was a comment that he was the first to do so. However, there is a portrait of King Edward VII in Coronation regalia, and he is wearing a plain gold ring on his third finger left hand.

[MissRose]

I have no issue with Prince William choosing not to get a wedding ring.  Then again in his military career, ring/jewelry wearing is probably discouraged.

I think its more common for women to wear a ring to show marital status.  I even sometimes wear certain styles of rings on certain fingers if I go out to a club/pub/bar, its a very good deterrent to most men.

My parents did have a double ring ceremony nearly 40 years ago.  My father does not wear his partly for years - for a long time, it was his factory work, and now that he is retired, he still won't put it on as he does stuff for my mother like fixing things, and a ring would be in the way.  My mother didn't wear hers for a short time as a part time job she had, the chemicals and her ring materials clashed, causing a rash so she didn't wear it, and now she that she isn't working, she has gone back to wearing both her engagement & wedding rings.

[kareng57]

Just as an aside, all these married men working in construction who don't like the feel of a ring aren't making life any easier for us single girls!

First thing I do if I meet or see a guy I like?  Check for a wedding ring.  I wonder how much time I've wasted trying to be understatedly charming to married men...

I don't agree with this post at all.  Many married men will be perfectly polite to a young woman who is trying to make pleasant conversation.  If they are not wearing a wedding ring, should their first reply be "just so you know, I'm married?"

You seem to want to have it both ways, here.  You must be allowed to keep your name (I don't disagree with that at all) but he must  be forced to at least try to wear a ring.

[LaciGirl007]

How is this an etiquette issue?

[wendelenn]

FOD = Foreign Object Damage (to planes)

Basically, Captain Dudeguy drops ring... Can't find it.  We all have to walk out to the flightline and walk reeeeeeaaaaallllly slow looking for the ring, then search the jet, then possible impound the jet.  All a giant pain in the neck.

You aren't supposed to wear jewelry while working on/operating aircraft for this reason.

My husband was working as an aircraft mechanic (civilian) and was suspended for three days for wearing his wedding ring, for this very reason.

[ydpubs]

FOD = Foreign Object Damage (to planes)

Basically, Captain Dudeguy drops ring... Can't find it.  We all have to walk out to the flightline and walk reeeeeeaaaaallllly slow looking for the ring, then search the jet, then possible impound the jet.  All a giant pain in the neck.

You aren't supposed to wear jewelry while working on/operating aircraft for this reason.

My husband was working as an aircraft mechanic (civilian) and was suspended for three days for wearing his wedding ring, for this very reason.

Yep, my FIL was an aviator in the Navy and he didn't wear a wedding ring for this very reason. (He was not suspended, but they weren't supposed to wear any jewelry.)

[Larrabee]

Just as an aside, all these married men working in construction who don't like the feel of a ring aren't making life any easier for us single girls!

First thing I do if I meet or see a guy I like?  Check for a wedding ring.  I wonder how much time I've wasted trying to be understatedly charming to married men...

I don't agree with this post at all.  Many married men will be perfectly polite to a young woman who is trying to make pleasant conversation.  If they are not wearing a wedding ring, should their first reply be "just so you know, I'm married?"

You seem to want to have it both ways, here.  You must be allowed to keep your name (I don't disagree with that at all) but he must  be forced to at least try to wear a ring.

How is that both ways?  To me that seems quite consistent, I want equality within a relationship.

Note I didn't say anything about 'forced', but I would hope that any hypothetical future husband would understand that it was important to me and actually want to at least give it a try!

Wives taking their husband's last name and only wives but not husbands wearing wedding rings both come from sexist traditions.  I love the symbolism and sentiment behind wedding rings, so it matters to me, but it only matters if both partners wear one, otherwise the symbolism is completely changed imo.

(I understand about not being able to wear one in some lines of work, but I think it would be nice to try and find a compromise.  Women aren't allowed to wear rings with stones in my job for safety reasons so a lot of the, have figured out ways to keep their engagement rings on their person without having them on their finger.)

*To your first point, if they were wearing a ring they wouldn't need to tell me they're married, I'd see it and wouldn't approach, saving us both time!  I can't think of any safety reasons why a man couldn't wear a ring to a bar, or party or other social situations!

[Shopaholic]

I want equality within a relationship.

Actually, this is the reason my BIL wears a ring. He wanted his wife to wear one, and it only seemed fair that he wear one too!
(She didn't care, surprisingly - she's all about gender equality )

[LadyClaire]

I want equality within a relationship.

Actually, this is the reason my BIL wears a ring. He wanted his wife to wear one, and it only seemed fair that he wear one too!
(She didn't care, surprisingly - she's all about gender equality )

DH was iffy about wearing a wedding ring since he's not a jewelry person. But he wanted me to wear one (which I wanted to, so that wasn't an issue) and take his last name. I told him that if I have to take his last name and wear a wedding ring, then he has to wear a wedding ring, too. He thought about it for a minute, and then said "you're absolutely right". He wears a ring. The funny thing is that he likes his ring so much that after he got it, he asked if he had to wait until we were married before he started wearing it, and kept taking the ring to show it to his guy friends. 

[Moralia]

I actually don't think it's fair that women get engagement rings and men get nothing, so when we got engaged I bought DH an engagement watch. I got his input on styles that he liked, but picked it out myself. The night he proposed, I knew it was coming, so I brought the watch with me and gave it to him after he proposed and gave me my ring.

That's so sweet, you made me cry!