Should a Man Wear a Wedding Ring?

The question of wearing a wedding ring for a man has recently been raised by the refusal of HRH Prince William's announcement that he will not be wearing a wedding ring, aka a wedding band, following his marriage to Miss Kate Middleton later this month.

There has been some shock expressed at such a refusal from many Americans whom I know.

 The tradition of men wearing a wedding ring is relatively new. It was not common prior to World War Two for a man to wear a wedding ring.

This tradition is said to have originated with American men in the military going over seas, signifying that they were married back home in the US. Therefore it can be argued that the tradition is merely a local one to the US. While it may be considered a sign of love and fidelity here, in the US, that is not necessarily the case in other parts of the world.

 In Britain the wearing of wedding rings by men is becoming more popular.

At one time though the wearing of rings of any kind by men was firmly discouraged. I can remember growing up in the 1960's and early 70's and seeing governemnt safety films.

These safety films aimed at men in heavy industry, portrayed rings and jewelry as dangerous to manual workers. A ring could easily be caught in moving machinery, risking amputation of a finger, hand or arm.

In recent years however such films were stopped as manufacturing industries declined and men moved into jobs which did not pose quite so many dangers. Accordingly the habit of wearing a wedding ring has grown.

 The refusal of Prince William to wear a wedding ring therefore should not be seen as some planned infidelity, nor is it a sign that he does not love his bride.

Britain just has different traditions, and we should accept that the tradition of the man's wedding ring is not universal. Britons and Americans may share a common language, they might be allies, but we have different cultural values and traditions. Seeing Britons through the lens of American values only leads to confusion and misunderstanding.

God Save the Queen and God Bless America!