The wrong rings
From Wynne Weston-Davies
Sir: The BBC4 docudrama Longford was one of the best things on television for a long time but it perpetuated a current television solecism, in that Lord Longford was shown wearing a wedding ring. He did not, as many photographs and portraits will confirm; nor did many British men until about 20 years ago, when this American habit began to creep in. To this day no male members of the royal family wear wedding rings on the fourth finger of the left hand, although the Prince of Wales did wear one below the signet ring on his little finger during his marriage to Diana.
Despite this, almost all British films, plays and docudramas produced in the last five years, from Jane Eyre to Longford, persist in showing the male characters wearing wedding rings when a cursory glance at any number of contemporary paintings, films and photographs will show that almost none did. At a time when costume designers go to endless lengths to get the pattern of an 18thcentury lace collar absolutely right, should they not be more observant of important dress codes of only 20 years ago?
Wynne Weston-Davies
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
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