Queen Camilla has become a very popular member of the royal family. When she and Prince Charles began dating and later got married, the public was still upset with her because she had been Charles’s mistress during his marriage to Princess Diana. But now, things are very different.
Camilla, formerly known as Parker Bowles, took on a lot of responsibility when her husband underwent cancer treatment. Her popularity continues to grow, and we hope to see her perform royal duties with Kate Middleton again once she recovers from her own cancer treatment.
Even though Camilla and Kate have formed a wonderful relationship over time, some things changed when Camilla became queen. For instance, Kate can no longer decide what to wear for official engagements without getting Camilla’s approval first.
The royal family follows many rules and traditions—from what to eat to how to act at royal events and how to greet the public.
Royal Etiquette and Rules
Some royal rules are strict and must not be broken. Others are more like guidelines on how a royal family member should behave in certain situations. These rules are quite different from what the average person experiences when going out to dinner.
Let’s start with a common one: greeting a Royal Family member. Buckingham Palace states on its website that there are “no obligatory codes of behavior when meeting [The King] or a member of the Royal Family.” However, “many people wish to observe the traditional forms.”
For men, this means a neck bow (from the head only), while women do a small curtsy. Shaking hands is also accepted.
When sitting down for dinner, several rules and guidelines must be followed. When dining with the king, guests should follow his lead. In fact, King Charles can determine when people start and stop eating.
When dining with His Majesty, Kate, William, or any other royal family member, they should never begin eating before King Charles. Also, when the king places his knife and fork in the finished position—at 6:30 with the tines of the fork facing upwards—everyone should follow, regardless of whether they have finished their meal or not.
“Starting your meal before or ending it dramatically after the King would be noticed by others,” etiquette expert William Hanson said.
Why Shellfish is Not Allowed
Another formal rule is to never scrape along a near-empty plate.
“It is not a breach of protocol to make noise with the cutlery on the plate if it happens once or twice by accident, but to continue to do so is especially unfortunate,” Hanson added.
When thinking about the royals and food, it’s easy to imagine grand buffets filled with all kinds of treats. Of course, the royals eat very healthy and well-prepared food from their personal chefs and kitchen staff, but some foods are forbidden.
Shellfish, such as shrimp, oysters, and lobster, are not allowed to be served when the royal family sits down to eat. According to Darren McGrady, a chef at Buckingham Palace from 1982 to 1993, this is because of the risk of food poisoning or allergic reactions, especially when dining out or abroad.
Speaking with the Telegraph, McGrady revealed that carbs are also pretty much banned. “No potatoes, rice, or pasta for dinner,” the royal chef said.
The list of rules is indeed long. Some might seem ridiculous, but they are essential. However, royal family members have broken these rules several times.
Although the royals follow many rules, they don’t like all of them. For example, Meghan Markle reportedly hated one of them.
The One Royal Rule Meghan Markle Hated
In his book Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family, Tom Quinn cited a former staff member who claimed that Meghan struggled with one rule during her time as a working royal.
The royal source claimed that she “hated being controlled by royal protocol,” especially when it came to leaving the house. One crucial rule within the royal sphere is that family members must always report where they are going before leaving their homes, and Meghan didn’t like this rule.
“The fact, for example, that 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 is partly for security but partly 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 rules about etiquette and behavior around the king are one thing, but some rules also apply to young royal family members, especially regarding toys.
King Charles Can Confiscate Grandchildren’s Toys
When on engagements or walkabouts, it’s common for the royal family to receive many gifts. However, even if the gift is a teddy bear suitable for Charlotte or any of her brothers, the children don’t get to decide if they can keep it. Instead, King Charles does.
According to the Daily Record, a strict rule prevents Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, or even William and Kate, from “owning” gifts presented to them. They have a seven-page handbook regarding receiving gifts, outlining what they can accept and what they must return.
In other words, a teddy bear given to William and Kate for Charlotte is not theirs. It automatically belongs to King Charles.
“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,” the rule guidance states.
“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. However, in reality, he is a very loving grandpa who ensures his grandchildren receive these beautiful gifts.
Queen Camilla Introduced a New Rule for Kate Middleton
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. Then, the security test proceeds, and if it passes inspection, it can be handed over.
For any gift valued under £150, royal family members can hand it to an aide or give it to any charity they like.
Clothing is another significant aspect of royal life. King Charles, Prince William, and the other male members always wear the finest suits, but the women’s attire is different.
Over the years, we have seen the late Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, former members like Meghan Markle, and now Queen Camilla and Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, wear amazing outfits combined with extraordinary hats. Their wardrobes—and the royal jewelry collection—are quite lavish. Despite having access to many types of clothing, there are still some rules.
One rule changed recently when Camilla became queen.
Why Queen Camilla Can Choose Her Outfits First
Speaking with Express, a source close to the queen’s official dresser 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 the final say on whether it’s allowed.
Queen Camilla is the highest in rank and therefore gets the first choice on what to wear. The insider told Express that Camilla’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, especially blue.
Although Camilla was very strict about it at first, later on, Kate and Sophie were allowed to wear the same color, as long as 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 color,” the insider said. “Her Majesty’s favorite color 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.”
Queen Camilla’s ‘Marilyn Monroe’ Moments
Dressing properly is crucial for royal family members, but sometimes, even they can have accidental mishaps.
Last year, Camilla had a “Marilyn Monroe moment,” but fortunately, the dress stayed down. This wasn’t the first time it 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 while changing 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 New Delhi and again in 2019 while she was practicing archery in Bhutan.
Luckily, Queen Elizabeth II used a clever trick of having curtain weights sewn into her skirts to prevent such mishaps. Maybe that’s something Camilla and Kate Middleton should consider as well.
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