From the Republican convention to the inauguration to that awkward photo opp with Justin Trudeau, what do Donald Trump’s gesticulations have in common? You won’t ever spot a wedding ring on his hands, that’s what.
Though the President has been married to his third wife Melania for 12 years, he is never pictured wearing a wedding band, a fact which first became a major topic of social media comment during his inauguration in January, with TV cameras zooming in on his (ring-free) hand as he was sworn into office.
Trump has never publicly commented on his decision not to wear a wedding ring, though the First Lady is regularly photographed wearing items of jewellery gifted by her husband, including her $1.5 million engagement ring and the rumoured $3 million 10th anniversary ring that made an appearance in her first official White House photograph.
It seems that Trump didn’t wear a ring while married to his first wife Ivana Zelnickova, either, though he did sport one for wedding photos with his second wife, Marla Maples (and occasionally throughout their marriage).
New York psychotherapist Jeanne Safer thinks men are “making a statement by not wearing [a wedding ring]”.
‘It may unconsciously signal availability for adultery, either actually or in fantasy,’ she told the New York Times.
However, the real meaning of Trump’s gesture might be less calculating – maybe he just doesn’t like jewellery.
Prince William doesn’t wear a wedding ring, either.
The President is not the only high profile man to opt out of tradition and eschew a gold band. Actor Will Smith and musician Jay-Z have chosen not to wear one, and despite having been happily married to the Duchess of Cambridge for nearly six years, Prince William has never sported a wedding ring for one simple reason: he’s not a fan of jewellery.
In a statement released before his marriage in 2011, Kensington Palace confirmed that the Prince has “never worn any [jewellery]” and “decided he didn’t want to wear one now” as a matter of “personal preference”. His grandfather Prince Philip doesn’t wear one, either.
Whatever the reason, given the historical precedent (a glance through the history books tells us it’s a long time since a President was sworn in without a wedding ring), Trump’s gesture is certainly quite the statement.
Words: Katie Rosseinsky
