1. Princess Diana wore hats with hidden combs in them.
Formal public occasions often call for hats, and I’m sure you’ve wondered how some of the royal headpieces manage to stay perched so perfectly.
Reportedly, Princess Diana’s hats often had combs inside them that would secure to her hair so they stayed put. Hidden but useful!
2. Kate Middleton wears pantyhose with sticky heels.
It’s no secret that part of royal protocol for women is to wear pantyhose, but the smooth material makes it way too easy for their feet to slide out of their heels.
Which is why Kate Middleton chooses tights that have silicone pads on the bottom so they stick to the inside of her high heels. Apparently, she’s a fan of the brand John Lewis.
3. Princess Diana used clutches to hide her cleavage.
Princess Di used her clutches to cover her cleavage as she got out of cars. Why? It prevented any prying photographers from snapping a revealing pic of her.
4. Royals wear shoes that are one size too big.
According to fashion expert Harriet Davey, going up a shoe size is a style hack employed by many celebrities.
“Celebs often go a size up, or even two, in the shoe department when they’re at an event or on the red carpet, and it’s for one reason we can all relate to—to avoid blisters,” she said in an interview with The Sun.
5. Royals wear weights on their hems…sometimes.
Another go-to fashion hack royals use to stop wardrobe malfunctions is weights added to their skirts and dresses.
Stewart Parvin, one of Queen Elizabeth’s couturiers, told the Daily Mail that he sews small lead weights (used for curtains, actually) into the hems of her clothes, which prevents her skirt from blowing up in the wind.
6. Royals often wear heavier materials.
Royals choose thicker fabrics and more fitted silhouettes to prevent their outfits from billowing in the wind like Kate’s tweed blazer-and-skirt set below.
7. Kate uses hairnets to keep her strands in place.
She often wears them when her hair is styled in more intricate updos—that way, she doesn’t have any rogue fly-aways.
8. Kate wears leather insoles in her heels to avoid sore feet.
Kate Middleton spends a lot of time walking around in sky-high footwear.
This is why she’s reportedly a fan of Alice Bow leather insoles, which add extra cushiony padding to any shoe. They come with double-sided sticky areas to really hold them in place.
9. Meghan often goes for bodysuits so her top stays put.
Meghan looked super fashion-forward when she appeared in this Alexander McQueen suit in February 2018. But perhaps more notable than her chic pantsuit was the fact that her white blouse was actually a bodysuit by the brand Tuxe.
It seems like Meg has actually worn the style on more than one occasion.
10. Kate wears hats to keep her hair out of her face.
Her clever hack: Always wear a hat at the airport. The Duchess, on more than one occasion, has had to walk down steep stairs in front of crowds of photographers, while holding the future King in her arms. In other words, she’s got no time for a face full of hair.
11. Royals opt for nude nail polish—per the queen’s request.
All female members of the royal family are instructed to keep their nail colors as natural as possible. But there are a few exceptions to this rule (see: Meghan at the British Fashion Awards), but generally the women try to adhere to this one.
At times, you’ll see the royals sporting bare nails, but they’re still perfectly groomed.
12. Royals also wear bodysuits that increase static.
Speaking of bodysuits, etiquette expert Myka Meier said in an interview with The Sun that Kate and Meghan often “wear bodysuits and clothes that actually increase static so it’s much hard[er] for something to fly up.” That achieves a similar result as weighted hems, but in a more wearable form.
13. Royals invest in classic pieces they can rewear.
Kate Middleton is the queen of repeating outfits—a move that signals practicality and frugality, which aren’t adjectives one usually associates with the monarchy.
Meghan also knows the value of investing in a timeless piece, like her Sentaler camel coat. After wearing the piece to Sandringham for her first royal Christmas, Meghan wore it again over her shoulders at a charity visit this November.
14. The queen wears bright clothing so people can see her.
Her royal highness is known for her bright, monochromatic looks, which she wears during public appearances so that she’s easy to spot from far away.
And it seems like the Queen has passed this advice on to the future Queen, Kate Middleton. The Duchess has never been one to shy away from color, and in recent years, she’s been going even brighter and brighter.
15. Kate Middleton chooses pieces with meaning.
The Duchess is known for letting her outfits do the talking. In 2017, when the Duchess attended the 20th Anniversary of Princess Diana’s death at Kensington Garden in a dress with a poppy print (AKA the flower of remembrance).
Though protocol requires Kate to remain impartial on “political” matters, the Duchess showed solidarity to the #MeToo movement by rocking a black sash at the 2018 BAFTAs.
16. Royals always have a shawl on hand.
There’s a protocol that states royals can’t remove their coat in public. As a work-around, the ladies have discovered the shawl, which keeps them warm and complies with the palace’s rules.
Even Queen Elizabeth knows the value of a good shawl—though she usually opts for a more glamorous and Queen-like fur stole.
17. Royals keep their makeup looking natural.
The palace prefers that members of the royal family wear minimal, natural-looking makeup for public appearances. That’s why you won’t catch Kate rocking a red lip or bright eye shadow.
Meghan follows this protocol too. Though she hasn’t shared her beauty bag with the public recently, she did reveal that Nars Blush in Orgasm was one of her can’t-live-without beauty products in an interview with Beauty Banter.
