Royal Rules That Kate Middleton Always Has To Follow

If Meghan and Harry’s Oprah interview taught us anything, it’s that members of the royal family have to follow some extremely strict rules. And Kate is certainly no exception. Far from it, in fact. Her position as the future queen consort means there are actually tons of things she can and can’t do. Though the duchess has been known to sneakily break protocol every now and again. You’d have to, right?

1. Keep skirts long

A lot of the rules are about appropriate dress. Specifically, royals need to dress modestly and not show too much skin – especially if the paparazzi are about. As a result, Kate’s skirts are always knee-length or longer. And if it ever looks like she has bare legs, she’s probably wearing nude pantyhose. Pantyhose are an absolute must in front of the Queen.

2. Hats are a must

Kate also often wears a hat whenever she’s attending events, and the reason for that stretches back decades. In the 1950s, it wasn’t thought seemly for upper-class ladies to display their hair in public. And while times have changed, the hats remain. The duchess is also required to wear a tiara at royal dining events. In certain circles, this is a symbol of marriage.

3. Dresses should be weighted down

Kate’s had a couple of accidents where her skirt blew up in the wind. In 2012 Jenny Packham, one of Kate’s designers, told the Evening Standard, “I had a little handwritten letter from a lady in Wisconsin passionately criticizing me for the primrose yellow shift dress I made for the duchess. She said didn’t I know about putting weights around the bottom of a hem, so it can’t blow up?”

4. She must stay demure

A female member of the family must always sit with their legs together and their chin parallel to the ground. Nope, royals don’t cross their legs at the top but keep their thighs next to each other. Kate must also master the duchess chin-slant. That way, she doesn’t seem unsure, but she doesn’t appear cocky either.

5. No colored nail polish!

The Queen dictates a few royal fashion rules – some of them harsher-sounding than others. None of the female royals – or the male ones, for that matter – are ever likely to be snapped wearing colored nail polish, as the Queen reportedly considers it vulgar. She apparently hates wedge shoes, too, so Kate can’t wear them in front of her.

6. Hair and makeup should be subtle

A royal woman ought to keep makeup to a minimum – and definitely not try out any outlandish hairstyles. That means no black lipstick or blue hair dye for Kate. Even when dressed down, she’s still expected to look neat.

7. Fur isn’t strictly allowed

Kate isn’t really supposed to be seen in fur. This rule dates all the way back to 1137, when King Edward III issued a law preventing even his own family from wearing the stuff. In 2019 the modern royal family also appeared to stop using fur. And according to royal dresser Angela Kelly, the Queen revamped an old outfit to account for this change.

8. Always bring black

There’s also one particularly morbid rule that has been in place ever since the Queen took the throne. Whenever a royal goes abroad, they have to take an all-black outfit with them. And you may have already guessed why: in case any other member of the family passes away during the period of the trip. If they have black clothes with them already, they’ll be properly dressed for their return to Britain.

9. No PDA

Having to adhere to a dress code sounds difficult enough. But other rules govern Kate’s life, too. For instance, she’s not supposed to show affection to her husband in public. Even holding hands is fairly taboo. Why? Simply because the royal family consider themselves to be working when they’re out and about, and public displays of affection aren’t very businesslike.

10. Selfies are out

Selfies too are a long way from being businesslike, so you’re unlikely to catch Kate taking one. It does happen every now and again, but it’s usually an over-zealous fan holding the camera. And autographed photos are definitely out for a more serious reason: the royals aren’t allowed to sign anything for fear that someone could forge their signatures.

11. Always accept a gift

It doesn’t matter if it’s a simple scented royal jelly candle or a life-size sculpture of Prince Harry made from butter. If Kate is presented with a present, she is duty-bound to accept. It would be horrible manners to decline!

12. Honor your hosts

When traveling to another country, royals like to ensure that they wear the colors and fashions of their hosts. They are diplomats after all, so it helps to build bridges. For example, when Kate and William visited Ireland for the first time in March 2020, Kate made sure to wear Ireland’s national color of green.

13. She must obey the curtseying order

Royal family etiquette is vital, too. Kate is expected to curtsy to the Queen whenever the situation calls for it as well as to Prince Charles and Camilla. Officially, she also has to curtsy to the princesses who were born to that title – Beatrice and Eugenie, for example – but only if William isn’t with her. If he is with her, the princesses should bow to William and Kate. Confusing? You bet.

14. The royal hierarchy also applies at dinner time

More astute fans of the British monarchy may have noticed that the Windsors arrive at events in a particular order. Well, the same succession applies at mealtimes. Reportedly, the royal family walk into a room or take part in a procession in the same sequence that they are in line to the throne.

15. No shellfish or garlic

Having a nice sit-down dinner with the family is also complicated. Allegedly, the royal family generally don’t eat shellfish, as it could cause allergic reactions. And the Queen reportedly hates garlic, so that’s out too. Even drinking from a teacup should be done in a particular way. You need to hold the top of the cup handle with your index finger and thumb and place your middle finger on the bottom.

16. She must use cutlery correctly

Using utensils correctly is something the royal family take very seriously. For starters, knives are reportedly held in the right hand, while forks should be used on the left with the prongs curving downwards. Kate and other members of the family aren’t allowed to let cutlery screech across plates, either.

17. There’s even napkin etiquette

Apparently, royals follow strict rules when it comes to using napkins. Dinner guests are expected to keep their faces clean during meal times, and it’s not the done thing to wipe errant food away with the back of a hand. We can’t see Kate doing that, though!

18. She should discreetly excuse herself from the table

And if Kate needs a bathroom break during a dinner function, she has to be discreet. Royal etiquette dictates that she merely says “excuse me” without further explanation of where she’s going. She doesn’t want to be vulgar, after all!

19. She has to tell her baby news to the Queen first

As the head of state and of the family, the Queen must always be the first person to hear about both a pregnancy and a birth – apart from the parents, of course! Apparently, William used a secure phone to speak to his grandmother as soon as Prince George was born.

20. She must remain politically neutral

Then there’s one of the most important rules: royals don’t get involved in politics. They’re not allowed to give political opinions to the media, and Kate may not even vote. According to Newsweek, though there’s nothing explicitly governing whether a royal can vote, some or all of them choose not to.