Last month, we couldn’t take our eyes off of Kate Middleton’s gorgeous houndstooth plaid coat during a tour in Sweden and Norway. At the time, we thought maybe she was paying homage to Princess Diana’s Moschino moment in 1991, but a deeper dive revealed the princess maybe just has a thing for a statement coats. And it's with good cause, because being a royal requires she step up her outerwear game in a major way.
Official royal protocol stipulates Middleton must always keep her coat on in public, as taking it off would be deemed “unladylike,” Harper’s Bazaar Australia reports. Those same rules require the Duchess of Cambridge to always wear very fine nude stockings as to not bare her legs, and forbids messy hair (even going as far as to wear a hair net to secure her bun), short skirts, and bright nail polish. Middleton also never wears wedges because, according to Vanity Fair, the Queen “isn’t a fan,” and she always carries a clutch as a way to save her from shaking hands with commoners, with is also a royal no-no.
Etiquette expert William Hanson told the Daily Mail in January: “The Duchess of Cambridge may well prefer not to shake hands with certain people — but there are other ways to achieve this, as used by The Queen and other members of the royal family, than opting for a clutch over a bag with a strap.” He continued: “It is protocol that you do not extend your hand to any member of the royal family (blood royal or those who have married into the family) unless their hand extends first.”
It’s no wonder Meghan Markle’s style has taken Kensington Palace by storm, which goes as far as to send out press releases with her outfit credits after she wear something. Between her messy hair, handbags that free up her arms, and accessible fashion, she’s bringing a new look to the palace.
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