We may see the royals as perfect, but they're just humans like the rest of us — only most of their moves are captured on camera. That's the worst because it means every tiny slip-up they have is saved in photographic form forever. Like when these 15 wardrobe malfunctions happened: If they had been commoners, no one would have noticed. Instead, people will remember the fashion mistakes for years — decades even for poor Princess Diana.
All of the royals have suffered problems with how they've dressed — men and women alike. But it's safe to say most of the style problems have affected the ladies of the royal family. From the wind blowing up their skirts and their tops coming slightly unbuttoned to their shoes getting stuck at inconvenient times, here are 15 of the most awkward royal family wardrobe malfunctions.
Diana's First Brush With the Paparazzi
When the news broke that Prince Charles was dating Lady Diana Spencer, the media rushed to get her picture. Photographer Arthur Edwards was among the first, and he took this iconic backlit photo where the sun exposed just how see-through her skirt was. "I didn't do it on purpose, I promise. I didn't do it to embarrass her, but it was such a good picture you couldn't not publish it," the photographer later said.
Still, no wonder Diana couldn't ever trust the paparazzi. They never had her best interests at heart.
Meghan's Diana Moment
The Duchess of Sussex had her own Diana moment when on a tour of New Zealand. Her pleated skirt caught the sun and revealed the outline of her undergarments. But all the fans were just so excited to speak to Meghan that no one in real life probably noticed. It's just too bad the cameras are always watching.
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A Little Too Sheer
Speaking of sheer, Kate Middleton has also dealt with similar photograph issues. She wore this black dress to an evening event, and the resulting paparazzi camera flashes lit up her tan bra underneath. But with the rest of the cutouts in the dress, it looked like it could almost be intentional. No real harm done.
Low Cut
Diana wore a strapless gown to her first royal engagement, and you can bet that the paparazzi pounced. She quickly learned how to avoid this type of picture. For the rest of her time in the public eye, she would use her clutch purses to shield her cleavage when she stepped out of cars.
Kate's Forever Foe
The wind and the Duchess of Cambridge are not friends. Kate's had a ton of wardrobe malfunctions due to gusty conditions. It's probably part of the reason she wears so many wool coatdresses — the heavy material is more likely to stay in place so she doesn't have to bend completely over to rescue her skirt from the wind. Also, her poor hair!
Camilla's Slip
Kate's not the only royal who's been plagued by the wind. While on the red carpet for the NHS Heroes Awards, the blustery day ended up revealing a bit of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall's nude slip. Guess it's a good thing she was wearing one, huh? It's also a good thing she didn't wear a hat to this event, because it would have been a goner.
Stuck Shoe
The royal women are used to wearing high heels to all kinds of events, but Princess Mary of Denmark may have regretted that decision when her heel got caught in the crack of a sidewalk. She had to fully take her shoe off to free it. There's nothing less royal looking than standing on the grimy street in your bare feet.
Kate Knows That Pain
Princess Mary's not the only one who's dealt with shoe troubles. At a St. Patrick's Day event in 2013, a pregnant Kate got her heel caught in a grate. Fortunately, she had Prince William there to lean on as she bent down to free herself. Maybe the duchess needs some blockier heels for these kind of occasions?
The Queen's Broken Purse
Queen Elizabeth is always so prim and proper that she rarely has wardrobe malfunctions. She even has weights sewn into her dresses to avoid any issues with the wind. But on this evening, one of her accessories betrayed her. Her fancy purse strap snapped as she attended a birthday party. And this is the same evening she spilled food all down her front. When it rains, it pours apparently.
Knees Together
At the 2012 Highland Games, Prince Philip wore a kilt — with nothing under it. So when he started manspreading in his seat, the cameras caught sight of a little too much. You can see the Queen perhaps realizing that in this picture. She looked like she was scolding her husband for not keeping things more modest.
Unwrapped
The Duchess of Cambridge loves a breezy wrap dress, and they're definitely one of her style staples. But she quickly learned the downside of these dresses while at an engagement for Action on Addiction. When her outfit started to come untied, Kate had to firmly secure it back in place — in front of everyone.
Flying Up
Protocol typically frowns on the royal ladies showing skin, so this was a big no-no. It's not really Kate's fault that her shirt flew up — she was playing volleyball — but she may want to tuck it in next time. We do have to applaud her abs, though. This was just a few months after she gave birth to Prince George!
A Little Unbuttoned
On her 37th birthday, Meghan attended a wedding with Prince Harry. She wore a gorgeous black ensemble with a matching fascinator. But it looks like her top may have become a little unbuttoned because the lacy edge of her undergarments appeared to show through when she raised her arm to wave. Happens to the best of us!
Wrong Way, Kate!
This was a pretty big blunder for the fashion-conscious Kate. She accidentally wore her purple Gucci top backwards. Unless she did it on purpose — she would be creative enough to do her own twist on Gucci. Either way, she looks stunning. This is the kind of wardrobe malfunction you can get away with if you're the Duchess of Cambridge.
Saving It for Later?
After these photographs were released of Meghan in Tonga, people quickly pointed out that you can still see the tag on her stunning red dress. The royals do buy all their own clothes, so maybe Meghan was just going to return this one after she wore it. Clever way to keep getting new outfits for her engagements!
