Being a royal sounds like a dream job – diamond tiaras, a breathtakingly chic wardrobe and a fairly solid income minus the 9-5 – but alongside the princess perks come plenty of downsides.
When Kate Middleton married Prince William in 2011, becoming the Duchess of Cambridge before taking on the title of Princess of Wales in 2022, there were a number of things she had to do to make sure she stuck to official protocol and longstanding royal etiquette. Here’s our roundup of some of the more surprising rules and conventions that the royals have to live by. It might make you feel better about not being a princess.
Goodbye Oysters
Shellfish is often considered a risky choice for members of the Royal Family, particularly when traveling, because of the potential for food poisoning. While this isn’t an outright ban, it’s a precaution that makes sense when a bout of food poisoning could disrupt an entire schedule of royal engagements. So, alas, oysters are off the menu.
No Diamonds Before 6 p.m.
Despite Kate’s access to some of the most expensive jewelry in the world, including the Cartier Nizam of Hyderabad necklace (worth an estimated $50million), royal fashion etiquette is often said to favor more understated jewelry during the day, with diamonds traditionally reserved for evening occasions. Unless, of course, it’s a tiara.
A Carefully Considered Dress Code
There is no single official royal dress code, but the expectations that Kate abides by involve modest dressing. The Princess of Wales’s famously high-fashion wardrobe includes plenty of tights, knee-length skirts and high-cut tops. So, even though the iconic sheer dress Kate wore for charity runway is credited as the trigger that sparked the royal romance, nowadays, it certainly wouldn’t be approved.
No Voting
Senior working royals are expected to remain politically neutral, meaning Kate does not publicly endorse political parties or campaign candidates. Although not written into law, members of the royal family abstain from voting. Rather than giving up a legal right when she married William, Kate is expected to follow the longstanding convention of political neutrality.
Always bring black
Kate is reportedly expected to pack a black outfit whenever she travels overseas, in case she needs to dress for mourning. The convention is traced back to 1952, when the then-Princess Elizabeth was in Kenya with her husband, Prince Philip. When news broke that her father, King George VI, had died, she returned to Britain without an appropriate mourning outfit and had to wait on the plane until one could be brought to her.
Sitting in a Duchess Slant
Thanks to The Princess Diaries, this one is pretty universally known. But for the uninitiated, the so-called Duchess Slant involves sitting with the knees and ankles together, with the legs angled to one side and the hands resting in the lap. It’s a posture frequently associated with Kate at public engagements, although it’s better understood as a preferred etiquette technique than a formal royal rule.
No PDA?
There is no official ban on public displays of affection, but there is a history of royal restraint – the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip liked to keep things formal in public. There’s definitely no making-out, but the Kate and Will are quite a bit more affectionate than their predecessors.
So while being a royal might seem like everyone’s dream, there’s a lot more to it than diamond tiaras and designer wardrobes. So the, next time you tuck into a plate of oysters, or slip on a body-con for the club, spare a thought for Kate.
