Princess Kate and other royals bound by strict style rules in hot weather

Kate, Princess of Wales and Queen Camilla are always appropriately dressed for public engagements and even private occasions, as are other royals like Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Anne.

While their less senior counterparts, Zara Tindall, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie also rarely have a hair out of place, the non-working royals have much more freedom in their clothing choices.

Even on the hottest days of the year, the Princess of Wales, Queen Camilla and Princess Anne are expected to follow strict style rules in line with royal protocol.

The guidelines include small details like when it is appropriate to wear sunglasses, the length of hemlines and specific parts of their feet that should never be on show.

Many of the codes are said to have been set out by the late Queen Elizabeth II and remain at the forefront of royal fashion trends to this day.

READ MORE: Duchess Sophie has a ‘knack’ for fitting in unlike Kate and Camilla – claim

Whether they’re on a royal tour of the Bahamas or simply stepping out in London on a humid summer day, female members of the Firm are expected to keep hemlines no more than four inches above the knee.

While Kate and Camilla are rarely seen wearing skirts or dresses that aren’t a midi or maxi cut these days, the Princess of Wales has dared to break this rule on past occasions.

The same goes for necklines too, with plunging or other revealing cuts also frowned upon when styled by a member of the British Monarchy.

This explains why the likes of Kate, Camilla and Princess Anne are almost always seen wearing boat, jewel, cowl or collared cuts when they step out in public.

And if they are seen sporting a scoop, V-neck or one-shoulder garment, the neckline is usually high-cut to avoid any cleavage being shown.

According to English Manner Chief Executive Alexandra Messervy, shoulders should also be concealed by cap or long sleeves in line with royal etiquette. She told InStyle that royal women “don’t usually wear sleevless dresses”, and if they do, a coat or jacket is often worn as an extra layer.

However, this style rule is one that has been broken on countless occasions by fashion icon, Princess Kate, and other royals.

The 41-year-old’s white one-shoulder BAFTAs gown is just one example of this, along with her monochrome bardot dress she wore to the Top Gun premier earlier this year.

Her black and white Roland Mouret gown was perhaps inspired by her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, who is renowned for her black “revenge dress” which she wore in June 1994.

While long sleeves aren’t essential for royal women, the male members including Prince William, and King Charles are always seen wearing them – except when they are playing sports like Polo.

Shorts are also deemed inappropriate for adults and are strictly reserved for young royals, like Prince Louis. Etiquette expert William Hanson told Harper’s Bazaar that royal boys are normally dressed in shorts for formal occasions until their eighth birthday, adding: “Trousers are for older boys and men, whereas shorts on young boys is one of those silent class markers that we have in England.”

And when it comes to female royals, even as young as Princess Charlotte, shorts are only worn for active occasions – like the Wales’s recent visit to 3rd Upton Scouts on the Coronation weekend.

Perhaps one of the most well-known style rules followed by all women in the Firm is that tights are essential no matter the weather. According to royal expert Victoria Arbiter, the tights rule is “the only hard, steadfast rule in terms of what the Queen requires”, although it has still been broken by both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle on occasion.

Another tradition eagle-eyed royal fans may notice is that open-toe shoes are rarely, if ever worn in public. This is considered “bad etiquette” as they’re seen to be too informal.

Instead, court-style pumps, heels or wedged sandals are favoured by Princess Kate and Duchess Sophie in particular. However, the latter was a famously undesirable choice of footwear in the company of Queen Elizabeth II.

Accessories are also bound by royal protocol, but it’s not just tiaras and hats that fall into this category. Sunglasses are another restricted item that royals must wear appropriately. Kate, King Charles and Queen Camilla have all been seen sporting their shades on recent occasions, but one thing they will never be seen doing is wearing them while in conversation with others.

This means that members of the Royal Family should remove their beloved Ray-bans from their faces and head while engaging with members of the public.

Speaking previously to Express.co.uk, fashion expert and stylist Miranda Holder said: “When they are not being worn they should be properly stowed away in a handbag rather than worn on one’s head – as the royal butler once said – they are not tiaras!”