It's no secret that British royals love their traditions. But some of their customs (or perhaps a more apropos term would be "rules") are downright strange — at least to commoners. For instance, Kate Middleton has to stop eating once Queen Elizabeth has finished her meal, even if she's only taken a bite. The Queen is through with her food … boom! So is everyone else. And that's only the tip of the iceberg of these seemingly out-of-left-field rules.
As with most things in the royal family, most of these traditions date back hundreds of years. But still, that doesn't mean they make much sense today. (Another example: The game Monopoly is forbidden in the royal family. Forbidden!)
If we're being honest here, it sounds like most of these rules are just relics from long ago that the Queen hasn't gotten around to changing. (There must be more pressing issues than tiny thimbles and fake pink money in Buckingham Palace.) But it doesn't make it any less fascinating to think that these are some of the things that govern the Duchess of Cambridge's everyday life. It was something Meghan Markle may have struggled with when she joined the royal family.
Fancy some strange royal British trivia? Here are the truly bizarre rules that Kate has to follow. And to think we all thought the duchess' life was nothing but designer dresses and blowouts.
The 'Stop Eating' Rule
As we mentioned, one of the strangest rules that Kate, or anyone who eats with the Queen, has to follow is to stop eating once the Queen decides she's done with her meal. Talk about power!
But somehow, we doubt that Elizabeth just willy-nilly chucks her silverware like five minutes after the meal has begun. She's more thoughtful than that, and on one occasion, she showed it: A former butler once recounted how a guest kept piling fruit onto his plate during dessert, without noticing that the Queen had finished eating. He was horrified when he noticed, but she simply took a sip of something so he wouldn't feel so awkward.
Everyone Must Curtsy or Bow Before the Queen
It's tradition that Kate, and any other female, curtsy to the Queen the first time she sees her during any given day, as a sign of respect. Even though she's the wife of a future king, Kate also curtsies to several other people — and here's where it gets complicated. She always curtsies to Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles (if Charles is with her), because they all outrank her. If she doesn't have Prince William by her side, she is outranked by "blood princesses" — Princesses Anne, Eugenie, and Beatrice, who were born into royalty.
Fun fact: If she's alive when her son Prince George becomes king, Kate will have to curtsy to him at his coronation.
Ixnay on the PDAs
We've already gone over why Harry and Meghan are affectionate toward one another in public and William and Kate are not, but as a general rule, heavy PDAs are looked down upon in the royal family. We've only ever seen the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge kiss on the lips on their wedding day. We guess that idea of keeping a stiff upper lip also refers to largely keeping your distance from your loved one while in public. We get it. The royal family wants to project a professional demeanor.
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Royal Bouquets Require a Specific Flower
As Kate did, Meghan and Eugenie — and many other royal brides — included myrtle in their wedding bouquets. It's not a hard-and-fast rule for royal women to use them, but it's been a tradition since Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, also named Victoria, did it back in the day. No one is likely to complain. The white flowers are beautiful and unusual, with a delicate crown-like top.
Political Views & Voting Aren't Allowed
We can't recall any time when we've heard Kate express anything anywhere near a political opinion, and that's no coincidence. Britain is a democracy led by a prime minister and parliament, and the royal family stays neutral on all political and government matters.
While there isn't a law against royal members voting, they don't, out of custom. This one may have been a hard pill to swallow for Meghan — who's been politically active in the past — during her time as a working royal.
Monopoly Is Forbidden
Yes, Monopoly, as in the board game. Apparently, Monopoly is on a list of forbidden games for the royal family. Kate is pretty competitive when it comes to games, but maybe she can pick up Uno or Hungry Hippos for the next Christmas at Sandringham.
No Shellfish
Historically, the royal family is banned from ordering shellfish or rare meat when they're dining out or on an overseas trip. Evidently, the rule is in place to avoid food poisoning or an allergic reaction, which could hinder their busy schedules. Despite this, William let it slip in 2018 that he's a big sushi fan, which — let's face it — pretty much means that Kate is eating dragon rolls and uni every once in a while.
Don't tell!
Garlic Has Been Banned From Buckingham Palace
No garlic? No problem. Apparently, the Queen hates garlic so much that it's been banned. Former royal chef Darren McGrady once explained, "We could never serve anything with garlic or too much onions. We also couldn't serve meat that was rare, as she liked her meat more well done."
Seriously, though. Can anyone imagine their life without Italian, Mexican, Asian, and, well, just about anything that isn't a boiled potato? We're pretty sure Kate keeps the pungent but delicious aromatic in her pantry at home.
Napkins Must Be Folded in Half After Eating
Royal dining etiquette says that diners should wipe food or drink off with a napkin that is then folded over so that the person's clothes don't get dirty and the nasty stain is not visible to others, who may be grossed out by it. Actually, we're on board with this one 100%. It's not a bad rule for everyone to follow because who wants to see crumbs and greasy spots all around the table?
There's an Order in Which They Enter a Room
When the royal family walks into a room, they don't just spill in, willy-nilly. They enter in order of precedence, or rank. So typically, Queen Elizabeth walks in first, followed by Prince Charles, then Camilla, then Prince William, then Kate (who must be so bored with all these rules), then Prince Harry and Meghan (if they happen to fly into town for a special function).
Watch for the Queen's Purse
Just as everyone has to finish eating when the Queen is done, when she puts her purse on the table it means it's time to wrap things up. Chop chop! Mama's got to get to bed and pop on The Golden Girls. The signal is really meant for the Queen's assistants to start shutting stuff down, but by now, if we know about it, every single person invited to a state dinner at Buckingham Palace does, too.
Trailing Queen Elizabeth
Walking in front of the Queen? Yeah, that would be a no. When he was alive, not even Prince Philip was allowed to do it, so it goes without saying that Kate has to walk behind Elizabeth, too, if they're at a function together — and when William is king, even as his wife, Kate will likely have to do the same with him.
Don't Drink Tea Any Ol' Way
The Brits love their tea time, but if they're going to sit down for a cuppa, they must do it right. Kate and the rest of the royals must use their thumb and index finger to hold the top of the handle, while the middle finger should support the bottom. They also should sip from the same spot so the entire rim doesn't have lipstick stains. And never — never! — pinkies out.
Say 'Excuse Me'
If a royal ever needs to use the restroom during dinner, they shouldn't say so. Getting up and simply saying "excuse me" is perfectly sufficient. In fact, the phrase is encouraged. Everyone should adopt this one, honestly. No one wants to know that you have to tinkle or poo, or to listen for rude sounds from the bathroom, inevitably, once someone has announced it while we're tucking into meatloaf, thanks.
Chins Must Be Parallel to the Ground
Royal women should always descend stairs with their chins parallel to the ground. Also, they should always pose with their chins in the same parallel position. OK, we're pretty sure this is the royal equivalent of a blue law — a law that is in the books but that no one could give a fig about. Right? Like, whose dumb job would include going through pictures of Kate at an outing and calling her up to check her about her less-than-perfect chin angle? No one's, that's whose.
Some Words Can't Be Used
It's doubtful anyone would call for a beheading if these "common" words were used, but it's seriously looked down upon if a royal uses the words "toilet," "pardon," "couch," "living room," "posh," "patio," or "perfume." Again, though Kate took pains to adopt a posher-than-thou accent and other habits after joining the royal family, we're pretty sure no one is sitting there with a hidden microphone to catch her saying, "'allo, mate."
Kate's Little Boys Can't Wear Long Pants
The first time Prince George wore pants in public was at Meghan and Harry's wedding in 2018. Before that, it was all shorts, all the time. That's because of an upper-class tradition for little boys, which the royal family follows fairly closely. (We seriously doubt that Archie will be wearing strictly shorts now that his parents have stepped back as royals, though!) While George has aged into long pants, little brother Louis is still showing off his knees.
Kate Must Wear a Hat
If the event is a formal one, royal women will be wearing a hat or fascinator to it. It's royal protocol that dates back to the 1950s, when everyone wore hats. We guess the family was just trying to keep things snazzy. The caveat to the rule is that women must take off the hats after 6 p.m., which is why you see Kate go bareheaded to evening events, or don a tiara to an official one.
Baby Births: The Queen Must Be the First To Know
Sure, Kate and William announced the births of their three children and showed them off to the public shortly after they had arrived, and soon, there wasn't a corner of the world where it wasn't known. But the Queen was the first to know, via an encrypted phone conversation. That's not just great-grandma's baby fever, but because it's a rule for all royal births. All royal birth details are a closely held secret, in fact, and when a nurse was duped into revealing those of Prince George's by a pair of morning show radio hosts, the aftermath was tragic.
Kate Must Pack a Black Outfit
When the Queen's father died in 1952 while she was abroad, she did not have a black outfit with her, so one was brought onto her plane when she landed in London, so she could descend the plane wearing mourning clothes. Since then, any royal who travels abroad has to pack black clothes, just in case someone in the family dies. Some people might think it's morbid or bad luck, but it's actually a thoughtful gesture.
