ROYAL DRESS CODE BREAKERS
The 12 times Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton failed to follow the Royal Family’s fashion rules
IT’S not exactly handbags at dawn – but yesterday’s revelation that Meghan and Kate’s infamous rift was sparked by a pair of children’s tights goes to show how fashion protocol is a big deal in royal circles.
As The Sun reported yesterday, Meghan upset Kate over her insistence that Princess Charlotte go bare-legged to her 2018 wedding to Prince Harry – and it wasn’t the first time the former actress has ripped up the rule book.
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From her hatless head to her tights-free toes, Meghan has proven a royal fashion renegade.
And she’s not the only one, with Kate breaking a style decree or two in her time too.
Here, with help from Ingrid Seward, Editor-In-Chief of Majesty magazine, we look at the wardrobe rules that (most) royals dress by – plus a dozen times they were broken.
1. One shall wear tights
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AS well as not letting Charlotte wear tights to her wedding, Meghan has often gone without them herself, although there is no royal rule that they must be worn, only that any leg blemishes should be covered.
Kate has a great hack for stopping her feet from slipping in tights — wearing sticky pads at the bottom of her shoes.
2. One shall not flash one's pins
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TO avoid a royal flash, skirts should be knee-length, and often have a weighted hem to stop them billowing up, as happened to Kate at Princess Eugenie’s wedding in 2018.
Ingrid says: “It’s hard to look elegant wearing a short skirt.”
However, Meghan wore a short black tuxedo-style dress to the musical Hamilton in 2018.
3. Wear a hat for official engagements
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ROYAL protocol says that you should wear a hat for formal engagements — or presumably it’s orf with your head.
Meghan made a serious slip- up when she failed to wear one for her first official engagement with the Queen in 2018, but has since rocked several stunning hats and fascinators when the occasion has demanded.
4. Nail polish must always be nude
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ACCORDING to Palace gossip, the Queen hates dark nail varnish and asks female royals to stick to nude colours.
But in flashes of rebellion, Kate wore a dark shade in 2012 and Meghan wore dark polish to the 2018 British Fashion Awards.
Apart from that, Meghan has mainly complied and gone nude . . . on the nails.
5. One will not carry a big handbag
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THE Queen is rarely seen without her LBB, or little black bag.
She apparently has nine, and uses them to signal to her staff — if she is tired of a conversation she puts her bag on the floor ready to be whisked away.
Other royals are discouraged from using big bags, with Kate hiding her shaky hands with a clutch bag. But she and Meghan have used oversized bags.
Ingrid says: “The Queen uses Launer handbags. She was never one for colour co-ordination. One of the exceptions was Fergie and Andrew’s wedding, when she had a matching bag and shoes. Prince Philip said she looked “very nice”.
6. One will not totter about in stilettos
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ROYALS must keep their heels lower than six inches to stay in HRH’s good books. As well as looking appropriately demure, there’s a practical reason.
Ingrid says: “Given how long they normally have to stand, a lower blocked heel is far more comfortable.”
Meghan’s trick is to wear shoes one size too big, to ensure her feet don’t blister.
7. One shall sport a demure necklace
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BOTH Kate and Meghan have flouted the royal rule that forbids baring shoulders or cleavage.
Ingrid says: “If formally dressed in day clothes, bare shoulders are considered vulgar, hence they are not allowed in the Royal Enclosure at Ascot.”
In 2018 Meghan even chose a major royal event, Trooping the Colour, to bare her shoulders.
8. One shall not wear wrinkled clothes
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A FEW times Meghan has fallen short of the polished Windsor dress code by stepping out in — gulp — creased clothing.
Last year she visited the charity Smart Works in London in a £2,000 Oscar de la Renta coat with some rather noticeable creases on show.
For that price you’d have thought they might have run the iron over it.
9. One shall keep one's coat on
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HAVE you noticed how the royals never take off their coats?
Ingrid says: “They don’t want to be photographed removing any clothing and a coat completes the look for smart dressing for both male and female.”
Meghan has mainly stuck to this rule, but she has been seen carrying her coat on her arm — hopefully the Queen didn’t see.
10. Jeans are only for Scotland
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ORIGINAL royal style maverick Princess Diana loved Levi’s, but few of today’s royals do denim.
Ingrid says: “Jeans are for casual wear only and for holidays or Scotland.”
Back when Meghan was dating Harry she stepped out in ripped jeans. However, she has since ditched the rips in favour of more tailored denim.
11. One mustn't have a hair out of place
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KATE rarely has a strand of hair out of place — and it’s all thanks to a hair net. Yes, your granny loved them, but they’re cheap, retro and guaranteed to keep your locks firmly under control.
Meghan, on the other hand, has often opted for a more messy look for some of her more casual engagements.
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12. One shall wear correct shapewear
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TAKING royal modesty to a whole new level of near- paranoia, it was recently revealed that Kate makes absolutely sure her bra and knicker lines are never on show by wearing a nude strapless body.
She also reportedly has her bras sewn into her clothes so that the straps are never visible either.
Meghan Markle stuns in unseen fashion photoshoot as cameraman claims she didn't like her feet
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