The Royal Rules That Tell Kate Middleton What She’s Not Allowed To Do

A lot of royal rules are about appropriate dress. Specifically, royals need to dress modestly and not show too much skin – especially if the paparazzi are about. As a result, Kate’s skirts are always knee-length or longer. And if it ever looks like she has bare legs, she’s probably wearing nude pantyhose; pantyhose are an absolute must in front of the monarch. Plus, like anyone, royal women want to avoid any uncomfortable wardrobe-related moments, like their skirt blowing up in the wind. Kate has actually had a couple of accidents where this is concerned.

So, there’s a sneaky trick to help avoid this. In 2012 Jenny Packham, one of Kate’s designers, told the Evening Standard, “I had a little handwritten letter from a lady in Wisconsin passionately criticizing me for the primrose yellow shift dress I made for the duchess. She said didn’t I know about putting weights around the bottom of a hem, so it can’t blow up?”

Kate also often wears a hat whenever she’s attending events, and the reason for that stretches back decades. In the 1950s, it wasn’t thought seemly for upper-class ladies to display their hair in public. And while times have changed, the hats remain. But what about tiaras? In certain circles, tiaras are a symbol of marriage. The duchess is required to wear a tiara at specific royal events.

If she is invited to an event that takes place both indoors and after 6:00 p.m., there's a change from the regular hat rule. Royal ladies can now each switch from a hat to every nine-year-old girl’s favorite accessory: a sparkly tiara.