Queen Camilla has become very popular in the royal family. When she and Prince Charles started dating and eventually married, the public was upset because she had been Charles’s mistress during his marriage to Princess Diana. However, things are very different now.
Camilla, formerly Parker Bowles, has taken on a lot of responsibilities, especially during her husband’s cancer treatment. Her popularity has continued to grow, and we hope to see her perform royal duties with Kate Middleton again once she recovers from her cancer treatment.
Although Camilla and Kate have formed a wonderful relationship, some things have changed since Camilla became queen. For instance, it seems Kate no longer has a say in what she can wear during official engagements with the queen unless Camilla approves it first.
The royal family has many rules and traditions, from what to eat and how to act at royal events to how to greet the public.
Some royal rules are strict and must be followed, while others are more like guidelines on how a royal family member should act in certain situations. These rules are quite different from the everyday person’s dinner plans with friends.
For example, greeting a Royal Family member involves some traditional forms. Buckingham Palace says there are “no obligatory codes of behavior when meeting [The King] or a member of the Royal Family,” but many people prefer to follow the traditions.
Men should greet with a neck bow (just the head), and women should do a small curtsy. However, shaking hands is also acceptable.
There are also rules for dining. When the king is dining with guests, it’s essential to follow his lead. Charles even decides when people start and stop eating.
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When dining with King Charles, Kate, William, and other royal family members must follow certain rules. They should never start eating before the king, and when the king places his knife and fork in the finished position—at 6.30 with the fork tines facing up—everyone else must stop eating, regardless of whether they have finished their meal.
Etiquette expert William Hanson explains, “Starting your meal before or ending it dramatically after the [King] would be noticed by others.”
Another rule is to avoid scraping a near-empty plate. Hanson adds, “It’s not a breach of protocol if it happens once or twice by accident, but continuously doing so is especially unfortunate.”
When thinking about royal dining, it’s easy to imagine grand buffets filled with all kinds of treats. While the royals do eat very healthy and well-prepared food from their personal chefs, there are some foods they are forbidden from eating.
Shellfish like shrimp, oysters, and lobster are not allowed due to the risk of food poisoning or allergic reactions, especially when dining out or abroad, according to Darren McGrady, a former Buckingham Palace chef.
Speaking to the Telegraph, McGrady revealed another surprising rule: “No potatoes, rice, or pasta for dinner.”
The list of rules is indeed long. While some might seem ridiculous, they are essential. However, royal family members have been known to break these rules occasionally.
Although the royals follow many rules, they don’t like all of them. For example, Meghan Markle reportedly hated one of them.
In his book *Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family*, Tom Quinn cited a former staff member who said that Meghan struggled with one rule during her time as a working royal.
The royal source claimed that Meghan “hated being controlled by royal protocol,” especially when it came to leaving the house.
One important rule in the royal family is that members must always report where they are going before leaving their homes. Meghan didn’t like this rule.
“At Kensington Palace, royals have to announce in advance when they are leaving the Palace and where they are going,” the royal source told Quinn.
“This rule is partly for security but also to avoid a situation where a senior royal is upstaged by a more junior royal leaving just when the more important person leaves.”
Royal etiquette rules are one thing, but there are also rules for young royal family members, like those about toys.
When on engagements or walkabouts, the royal family often receives many gifts. However, even if it’s a teddy bear perfect for Charlotte or her brothers, the children don’t get to decide if they can keep it. So, who does? King Charles.
According to the Daily Record, a strict rule prevents Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, or even William and Kate from “owning” gifts given to them. They have a seven-page handbook on receiving gifts, detailing what they can accept and what must be returned.
In other words, a teddy bear given to William and Kate for Charlotte doesn’t belong to them. It automatically belongs to King Charles.
The rule states, “Gifts are defined as official when received during an official engagement or duty or in connection with the official role or duties of a member of The Royal Family.”
“Official gifts are not the private property of the Member of The Royal Family who receives them but are instead received in an official capacity in the course of official duties in support of, and on behalf of, The King.”
So, King Charles owns all the gifts given to royal family members, per the rule. However, in reality, he is a very loving grandpa who ensures his grandchildren receive these beautiful gifts.
However, before a gift can be handed over to the royal children, it must undergo a strict security test. First, it is registered on an official “gift receive form,” the Daily Record reports. Second, the security test proceeds, and if it passes inspection, it can be handed over.
At the same time, for any gift valued under £150, the royal family members can hand it to an aide or give it to any charity they like.
Of course, clothing is another big thing in royal life. King Charles, Prince William, and the other male members always wear the nicest suits, but the women’s attire is a little different.
Over the years, we have seen the now late Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana, former members such as Meghan Markle and now Queen Camilla and Kate MIddleton, the Princess of Wales, wear amazing outfits combined with extraordinary hats. It’s safe to say that their wardrobes – and the royal jewelry collection – aren’t exactly cheap. But although they can wear many different types of clothing, there are some rules.
In fact, one rule changed just a short while ago, when Camilla became queen.
Speaking with Express, a source close to the queen’s official dresser has revealed Camilla’s unusual demand for Princess Kate and Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, the two other senior royal women. While all three enjoy wearing blue to official royal duties, the queen has a say in whether that’s a go or no-go.
Queen Camilla is highest in rank – and therefore gets the first choice on what to war. The insider told Express that Camila’s official dresser, Jacqui Meakin, initially “ruffled a few feathers” at the Palace due to Camilla’s strict idea of who could wear what color. And in most cases, that includes wearing blue.
Although Camilla was said to be very strict about it at first, later on, Kate and Sophie were allowed to wear the same color, just if it looked different enough.
“The Queen is now able to choose her outfits before all the other women in the Royal Family. It’s part of the royal pecking order and that includes the clothes and colour,” the insider said. “Her Majesty’s favourite colour is blue, and so is Kate’s. Sophie is also quite fond of it.
The source continued, “There was a time when Jacqui [Meakin] was a bit apprehensive to allow blue to be worn at the same time as the Queen, but she’s relaxed that now as long as the blues are very different shades. In the end, it all became a bit comical with all the ladies seeing the funny side.”
It’s all about dressing properly for the royal family members, but sometimes, even they can have what some might call mishaps, although they were accidental.
Last year, Camilla had a “Marilyn Monroe moment,” but fortunately, the dress stayed down. Yet, it isn’t actually the first time it has happened to her.
When Princess Charlotte was christened at the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Sandringham, Norfolk, Camilla experienced another Marilyn Monroe moment when a strong gust of wind threatened to lift her dress.
Camilla might have had her Marilyn Monroe moments, but she isn’t the only royal to have experienced them.
In 2012, Kate Middleton was caught by a sudden gust as she changed planes in Brisbane, Australia, revealing too much of her legs. Another time, when she and William ended their Canadian tour in 2011, her dress was caught in the breeze, nearly giving fans an eyeful.
It happened again in 2016 while she was laying down a wreath at the India Gate in the Indian capital of New Delhi and again in 2019 while she was practicing archery in Bhutan.
Luckily, Queen Elizabeth II used a very clever trick of having curtain weights underneath her skirt to prevent it from happening. Maybe that’s something Camilla and Kate Middleton should consider as well.
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