Traditionally, after you get married, you and your partner will sport rings after the big day. Some countries and cultures favor the left ring finger, others the right, but you’ll notice that Prince William doesn’t seem to acknowledge either one – that’s right, the oldest British prince has been widely photographed without a wedding ring on.

Everyone knows that William married Kate Middleton, who is now the Duchess of Cambridge. And, if you really love Kate, you’ve probably noticed that she DOES wear a ring after their incredible London wedding in 2011.

So…does this mean that Prince William is actually secretly single? Sorry, everyone, that is not the case!

If you look closely at the royal program from the 2011 nuptials, you’ll notice that the part where Prince William gets a ring kind of gets skipped over. This wasn’t a mistake! Will just doesn’t want to wear a ring, simple as that.

While it might seem strange that Will doesn’t want to match his wife’s gorgeous rock (a diamond and sapphire piece that’s enough to make your jaw drop), it’s actually pretty standard of male members of the British upper class and royalty to skip wearing a wedding band.

“It is not unusual at all for men from the upper sets in Britain to shun wearing a wedding band,” etiquette expert William Hanson told Harper’s Bazaar. “This is not because of any intentions that they may wish to play away from home once married, but because it was traditionally not the done thing for gentlemen to wear jewelry. Years ago, this even included watches, but even hardened snobs have relaxed on that front.”

Apparently, this is one of many “quirky British” things that silently indicates your class like, “Not wearing a wedding band is one of those quirky British silent class indicators, like the colour of your shoes on a Thursday or the way you fold your top pocket handkerchief.”

We might not get it if we don’t live in Britain, but it’s a tradition. It doesn’t mean anything negative for him and Kate’s relationship (which is good because we, like most people, love them together), which is what’s most important!

Have you ever heard of this quirky tradition before? Did you know that was why Prince William is never seen without a ring on? Make sure to share your thoughts with us!