These royal family ‘rules’ are complete myths

When it comes to the royal family, there is one rule that must never be broken, no matter how close they are in line to the throne: each member of the family must always bow or curtsy to the Queen. But beyond that, there’s surprisingly little royal etiquette for the Windsor clan to follow. In fact, most of the royal family rules you’ve probably heard of – likely reported as scandals in which Kate or Meghan allegedly broke ‘royal protocol’ – are myths, manufactured by the media for the sake of a sensational headline.

So let’s get to the truth behind these royal rules that apparently govern everything from their décolleté down to their toenails (literally).

Need proof that the British tabloids are hungry for royal gossip? If their headlines are anything to go by, the Duchess of Cambridge has sparked multiple royal scandals with her pedicures. On glam nights out, you will often spot Catherine with burgundy polish peeking out from her Jimmy Choos. While the Queen prefers to sport a pale shade of pink on her nails (Essie’s Ballet Slippers, if you’re wondering), Kate is not breaking any rules (or creating friction with Her Majesty) by opting for dark polish. “There is no actual protocol about dark nail polish,” says royal commentator Omid Scobie in Harper’s Bazaar.

Many of Princess Diana’s dresses made magazine covers back in the day, but there’s one in particular that achieved legendary status. In June 1994, on the same night Prince Charles’s tell-all interview confirming his affair with Camilla aired, Diana arrived at London’s Serpentine Gallery in what was hailed as ‘the Revenge Dress’. But did she actually flout protocol by wearing an off-she-shoulder number that showed a hint of cleavage? No way, says royal commentator Victoria Arbiter. “There are no set rules, other than being dressed appropriately for the occasion,” Arbiter explains, noting that when Meghan set the world aflutter by wearing an off-the-shoulder outfit to Trooping the Colour in 2018 (above), it was similarly a non-issue.

This dress sense may be of no consequence, but there are certain rules in places when it comes to royal etiquette.

A royal life comes with a lot of help, but sometimes you have to take things into your own hands, like Meghan did in September 2018, when she – gasp! – closed her own car door. Normally, a protection officer does this for the royals, but Meghan performed the simple act herself, causing the internet to combust in peak outrage at this perceived breach of protocol.

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The day after Kate got married, she left Buckingham Palace in a pair of wedge heels to the alleged horror of the Queen. There’s rumoured to be an unspoken rule in the royal family that no one wears wedges around Her Majesty because she detests the style. Kate herself proved this to be false, however unwittingly. In 2019, while showing the Queen the garden she designed for the RHS Chelsea Garden Show, the Duchess wore a pair of her beloved wedges. By all accounts, Her Majesty was far more interested in the blooms than any bit of fashion Catherine was wearing. Long live the wedge!

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When Meghan arrived at her engagement photo call with Prince Harry back on November 27, 2017, there was one accessory missing – pantyhose. Cue the media slating Meghan for disregarding royal protocol. “There are no rules for royal women regarding pantyhose,” notes royal expert Marlene Koenig in Harper’s Bazaar. “It is not required by any decree from the Queen.” The Duchess of Sussex tends to wear pantyhose around the Queen as a sign of respect, but otherwise she rocks bare legs.

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How does one interact with a member of the royal family? Well, there is supposedly a rule that you should never touch a royal, say with a handshake or hug, unless they initiate it. In 1992 the Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating, had the British tabloids all in a lather by placing a hand on the Queen’s back while introducing her to officials. Similarly in 2009, when the Queen posed for photos with Barack and Michelle Obama, the First Lady snuck an arm around Her Majesty – and the Queen reciprocated! Did the Queen disobey her own rule? Her senior dresser (and close friend), Angela Kelly, says absolutely not. “It was a natural instinct for the Queen to show affection and respect for another great woman and really there is no protocol that must be adhered to,” Kelly explains in her book, The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, The Dresser and The Wardrobe.

In fact, you’ll notice William, Kate, Harry and Meghan are an affectionate bunch, freely reciprocating hugs from well-wishers. So if you meet a royal, go in for that hug!

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Source: readersdigest.ca