Prince Charles has taken off the gold wedding ring given to him by Princess Diana 23 years ago, reports The Sun.

According to the report, Charles - who is due to marry Camilla Parker Bowles in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall on April 8 - was seen for the first time without the ring yesterday in New Zealand.

Charles, 56, had removed it once earlier when he and Diana divorced in 1996 but slipped it on again on his little finger, after her death in 1997.Meanwhile, 57- year-old Camilla, has also removed a ring from her third finger, reported to be a gift from ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles.

"Prince Charles and Camilla took a joint decision to remove the wedding bands they still wore. With their wedding just a month away, it was the fitting thing to do", The Sun quoted a royal insider as saying.