Ridiculous Rules Kate Middleton Has To Follow As A Royal

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As any royal fan will know, being part of the firm isn't always the easiest of gigs. Quite the contrary, there are a bunch of strict rules involved — and yes, Kate Middleton has to follow them, too. However, let's just say there have been a few occasions where the Princess of Wales has ever-so-subtly eschewed expectations.

We'll start with pantyhose, since as royal commentator Victoria Arbiter pointed out to Business Insider back in 2017, "That's really the only hard, steadfast rule in terms of what the queen requires." Sure enough, whenever Middleton is photographed in a shorter skirt, there are typically telltale signs of sheer tights, too. And, it seems she's pretty intent on ensuring her daughter follows in her (stocking-ed) footsteps. After all, in 2020, insiders told Tatler that Middleton and Meghan Markle had argued over the latter's flower girls — who included Kate's daughter, Princess Charlotte — wearing tights. "There was a row over whether the bridesmaids should wear tights or not. Kate, following protocol, felt that they should. Meghan didn't want them to." Two years later, Tom Bower reiterated the story in "Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors." Many poked fun at Middleton's penchant for following the rules, and "#DuchessofTights" began doing the rounds on social media.

Hashtag aside, it does bear mentioning that there have been some occasions when the future queen consort has gone tights-less, herself. Specifically, when she's opted for open-toed shoes, she's foregone them. She also went pantyhose-free for a 2012 judo competition. No word on whether Queen Elizabeth II gave her the green light for those instances ahead of time. 

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While we're on the topic of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle and their approaches to royal protocol, some may remember that on the latter's very first official engagement, she had to turn down fans who had been eager for a selfie. Per Daily Mail, Markle informed them, "We're not allowed." 

As it turns out, selfies were a pretty big no-no at the time. In fact, speaking to Business Insider, one royalist who'd been invited to one of Queen Elizabeth II's Buckingham Palace garden parties confirmed that he and other attendees were briefed not to try to take one. "The one thing they talked about a lot was no selfies, and the reason was that they didn't want people turning their backs to the royal family and the queen ... that was very important to them," he explained. 

Granted, it seems as though that rule may have fallen by the wayside over time. After all, Middleton has been pictured posing for selfies with fans on a number of occasions. And — shock, horror — some of said selfies have even seen fans standing in front of the Princess of Wales, meaning their backs were to her. There's a good chance the firm realized turning down selfies was a little antiquated, and the royal family decided to toss their own rule in the trash. Having said that, Victoria Arbiter explained to Business Insider that selfies were still often avoided on walkabouts, purely because they'd prevent royals from engaging with the sheer number of members of the public who'd come out to see them.

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Speaking to Business Insider, Victoria Arbiter pointed out that another reason royal selfies were often avoided was because they would require members of the public getting in the royals' personal space. That fell in line with yet another of the strict rules the royals are meant to follow: no touching. 

Well, no being touched by the public unless giving them permission, that is. Back in 2018, DeBrett's associate director Lucy Hume, an etiquette expert, told Reuters that it was generally a case of the public needing to follow the royal's lead when it came to physical touch. Speaking of handshakes in informal settings, Hume noted, "It's best to wait for them to offer their hand first before you reach out yours." With that in mind, something tells us Kate Middleton isn't all too opposed to giving that permission. After all, she's regularly seen embracing members of the public. 

The Princess of Wales has also shown herself to be quite the pro at handling situations where royal fans haven't followed her lead. Such was the case ahead of King Charles III's coronation concert, when one fan threw her arm around the back of Middleton's neck and pulled her head in closer for a selfie. Undoubtedly a case of over-stepping on the fan's part, but Middleton laughed, grinned for the pic, and quickly removed herself from the situation without creating any awkwardness. In fact, Mirror reported that the future consort even greeted her politely after the incident, possibly to soften the blow of security subsequently pulling the woman's hand away. Hey, she certainly tapped into the late Queen Elizabeth II's most famous rule for royals. That is, never complain, never explain. 

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Another rule Kate Middleton is supposed to follow pertains to food. Namely, senior royals shouldn't eat any seafood while at engagements, and especially not on tour. As a former butler to the family, Grant Harold, told Woman & Home, this is for the royals' health. "It is a very sensible move to abandon having seafood when out and about on public duties. We don't want a member of the royal family having a serious reaction to food poisoning, especially if she is on an overseas tour," Harold explained. Fair enough!

Practical or not, it's worth noting that Middleton decided to be a royal rebel back in 2022 when she and Prince William were in Great Abaco, Bahamas. Asked if she'd like to try conch pistol, Middleton didn't hesitate. Prince William wasn't quite as eager, but watched on in amusement as his wife threw her head back and ate the delicacy. One might assume William opted out to avoid breaking the rules, but Middleton playfully teased that it was simply because his palate wasn't quite as daring as hers. "I'm a little bit more adventurous than William is," she laughed (via The Royal Family Channel).

One royal unlikely to have been upset with Middleton about her breaking the rules is King Charles III. After all, he is supposed to follow the no-seafood protocol as well, but didn't back in 2013. Au contraire, while at that year's Whitstable Oyster Festival, he was pictured throwing back an oyster, himself. Given how close King Charles and Middleton's relationship is, perhaps they joked about their rebellious ways. That said, something tells us he wasn't quite as impressed with the time she had foie gras at lunch with Queen Camilla — a dish he actually banned. 

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While many of the royal rules Kate Middleton has to follow are based on royal traditions and practicalities, some things are set in stone. Such is the case with gift-giving, and the royal family's website actually has a list of official guidelines. 

Among the things Middleton may not accept are expensive items, and gifts given by businesses that could be used as an endorsement. In those cases, the Princess of Wales would need to decline the gift — though the official guidelines do state that she may use her discretion to avoid any hurt feelings. "Before declining the offer of a gift, careful consideration should be given to any offence that might be caused by such action," the guideline document states. 

Luckily, flowers are exempt from the no-gifts rule, and Middleton is able to take home the bouquets handed to her at official engagements. Such was the case at the 2023 Chelsea Flower Show, when she was handed a sweet potted flower by a schoolchild. "I'm going to plant that in my home, when I get home, with my kiddies," she beamed (via The Royal Family Channel). As for the instances where floral arrangements have been a little too large, or if they've been gifted while the royals are on tour, those in the know have said that Middleton and the rest of the royal family donate them to nearby charitable organizations and churches. As an aside, it bears mentioning that Middleton seems to feel pretty strongly about repurposing blooms. After all, even though her wedding flowers cost a staggering amount of money, prior to her and Prince William's nuptials, the couple announced that all leftover blooms would be sent to various charities, and where possible, even re-planted. 

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Some may remember that back in 2018, Kate Middleton didn't wear a black dress to that year's BAFTAs. This, despite the calls for attendees to wear the color in solidarity with the Time's Up movement. Unsurprisingly, critics weren't thrilled with Middleton's dark green gown — but it turns out there was a reason she couldn't make a statement with her attire. That is, royals are meant to remain neutral, no matter what. 

Interestingly enough, some actually pointed out that Middleton's dress for the evening may actually have included subtle nods to Time's Up and gender equality. That's because emerald green has historically been one of the colors of the British suffragette movement and carries connotations of hope. Given that Middleton is pretty much the queen of literal dressing, we doubt that was an unplanned detail on her part. 

Speaking of literal dressing, it's worth noting that there have been instances where Middleton has hinted at her personal political beliefs through her clothing. After all, she's previously worn a blue and yellow pin for an engagement with Ukrainian refugees, and she paired a light blue sweater with a #StandWithUkraine badge for a meeting at the Ukrainian Cultural Center. Bending the rules a little, but we have no doubts her late grandmother-in-law approved. After all, Queen Elizabeth II had a few controversial outfits in her wardrobe and even used them to throw some subtle shade on occasion. As for the rest of Middleton's rule-breaking, let's just say the occurrences all seem to be pretty tame. No one can really question the Princess of Wales' penchant for upholding royal standards, but she's not afraid to test the boundaries every once in a while, either.