PDA is strongly discouraged There are no official rules forbidding public displays of affection, but the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip set a precedent encouraging royals to keep touching to a minimum.
Although there is no formal law that forbids future monarchs from showing affection, Queen Elizabeth II set a precedent that encouraged royals to keep their hands to themselves. This is why you rarely see Prince William and Kate Middleton smooching in public, or even holding hands.
10 weird things that British royals are forbidden from doing: from eating raw meat and signing autographs, to playing Monopoly and wearing fur – so how did Meghan Markle break with tradition …
While there's no bona fide restriction on PDA, royal family members tend to refrain while on official business for Her Majesty. Plus, our favorite royal pair is not the first to follow this unspoken rule. Queen Elizabeth II rarely holds hands with her husband Prince Philip in public, either, and for the same reason.
Commoners aren't supposed to touch royals unless royals initiate contact.
What Kate called the Queen. While the rest of the world is required to address Queen Elizabeth as Ma'am or your majesty, those closest to her are allowed to refer to her as Mama, according to Ingrid Seward, the editor of Majesty magazine. Sign up to British Heritage Travel's daily newsletter here!
"Without William, Kate would curtsy to Camilla; with him, she would not," the source continued. "That's unless Prince Charles is present, in which case she would." The order of curtsying, however, can change. This could happen when people marry into the family.
Even while mourning the pair value their duties. The Prince and Princess of Wales are known for refraining their public displays of affection, other than subtly touching each other's arm.
No gender-reveal festivities
And some royals have joined in, including Princess Diana, who learned that Prince Harry would be a boy sometime during the pregnancy (although she didn't tell Prince Charles, and here's why). However, what a royal must never do is reveal the gender to the public in advance of the birth.
It boils down to professionalism and royal protocol. As per the Palace's code of etiquette, the future King and Queen Consort are meant to refrain from public displays of affection.
“Best not to initiate personal physical contact with a member of the royal family. Again, it may be that they offered to give you a hug or to put their arm around you, but usually wait and see what's expected or what's appropriate for the event.”
It's becoming more common for royals from around the world to get tattooed. Britain's Princess Eugenie showed off a tiny circle tattoo behind her ear at a royal event in June. Meanwhile, Princess Sofia of Sweden showed her back tattoo of a sun symbol on her wedding day.
There are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the Royal Family, but many people wish to observe the traditional forms. For men this is a neck bow (from the head only) whilst women do a small curtsy. Other people prefer simply to shake hands in the usual way.
Contrary to popular belief, there aren't any royal manicure rules. Let's dispel a royal protocol rumor right off the bat: Duchesses Kate and Meghan are free to wear any shade of nail polish. “There's no actual protocol about dark nail polish,” royal correspondent Omid Scobie told BAZAAR.com in a 2018 interview.
There are strict rules surrounding the crown jewels, and only three people in the world are allowed to touch them: the current monarch (that's now King Charles III), the Archbishop of Canterbury and the crown jeweler.
But, not one to follow tradition too strictly, the Queen set her own standard and breastfed her four children, something which her daughter-in-law Princess Diana also decided to do as well, and later the Duchess of Cambridge.
Home births were the norm. Queen Elizabeth had all four of her children in royal residences, and so did Queen Victoria. The royal mothers brought in their own doctors and midwives to set up makeshift maternity wards. Otherwise they've taken place in hospitals.
“While the Queen does not decide the baby's name, nor does the decision require her approval, it is up to the monarch to bestow a title on the child if she decides,” the outlet reports.
HELLO! Magazine's royal correspondent Emily Nash explains: "The Duke and Duchess are almost always seen in photographs taken during official engagements so they are at 'work' and it would be unprofessional to hold hands.
Apartment 1A has two master bedrooms on the ground floor but while the option is there for them to sleep separately, Kate and William are understood to share a bedroom.
The role is not typically paid, and it has been reported that Lady Hussey was not given a salary during her time in the position, instead serving the Queen out of loyalty. The Queen had at least five ladies in waiting during her reign, including Lady Hussey.
The duke recalls meeting Camilla, whom he and his brother called “the other woman,” for the first time, and notes that it was far from a pleasant experience for him.
Now that Kate is the Princess of Wales — and Camilla is queen consort — the greeting rules have changed among the royal women. All must curtsy to Camilla. And, since Kate is Princess of Wales, Meghan must curtsy to both Kate and Camilla, per Page Six.
2. Will Kate Middleton be Called 'Queen'? Not really. If everything goes as planned, the Princess of Wales will likely receive the title of queen consort.