Dodging reporters, dressing the part, and… getting baptized? The royal family
values tradition, and anyone looking to marry a royal has to fall in line.
Depending on the situation,
attending dinner with your partner's family can be a casual affair. Still,
if your significant other is a member of royalty, mealtime is undoubtedly going to require bringing
your A-game. According to People, if you want to impress a prince or princess' family,
you'll definitely want to follow royal etiquette. Royal expert Myka Meier said that when it comes
to eating, you'll want to be sure to cut up your food into small pieces so they can be
consumed in one or two bites. You also are expected to lift up your morsel on a fork.
Instead of stabbing your food, you'll want it to be balanced on top of the fork tines.
Likewise, Meier said that soup is a particularly tough obstacle to master. She stated that the
regal way to eat soup requires you to eat it by pushing the spoon away from you,
bringing it up to your mouth slowly, and then quickly consuming the liquid. Similarly,
Marie Claire noted that various royal dining rules must be followed. For example,
in addition to formal wear, dinner guests must remember not to make clanking sounds with their
silverware, always drink from the same place on their cup, and hold said cup properly by
putting your thumb and index finger through the handle and using the other fingers for support.
In a royal romance, there are plenty of rules to remember, but no matter what
happens between you and your royal sweetie, Insider reports that you should never,
ever talk about them to the press. According to U.K. etiquette coach and expert William Hanson,
regardless of whether you want to gush or vent about your royal partner, you can't talk about
your relationship to the public. Instead, talk about charity work or other projects.
Likewise, ABC News reported that one key rule to a successful royal relationship
is being loyal to your partner. Using Prince William and Kate Middleton's then-on-and-off
romance as an example, the outlet stated that even during break-ups, the Princess of Wales
never bad-mouthed her now-husband publicly. Similarly, during her time living in London,
when Prince William's then-girlfriend was targeted by the media, Middleton reacted like a true queen
by smiling at paparazzi and being friendly but discreet. Entertainment reporter Kiki King stated,
"The British public really like her. [...] Kate Middleton seems to have won people over."
So with that love story's happy ending,
it seems like the Princess of Wales' approach is definitely the right way to go.
"Til' death us do part."
With plenty of rules for royal dating, you'll want to remember to dress the part. According
to Insider, even though you don't have to start living in pantyhose or a suit, you'll want to
dress more formally if you're attending an event with your royal partner. Likewise,
the aforementioned etiquette expert William Hanson stated that some royal events can be
more formal than others, so you'll want to be aware of how dressy you'll need to be,
depending on the occasion. On the other hand, Hanson said that daytime events are
typically less of a formal affair, which means you'll want to dress more business,
in cocktail dresses or skirt and suit ensembles, rather than a ball gown.
When it comes to the royal dress code, there's a different set of rules for
men and women — but both have plenty of fashion etiquette to follow. For example,
every royal family member must have multiple wardrobe changes for Christmas Day,
they cannot wear diamonds before 6 p.m., and they must always bring a black outfit when
traveling. These rules are also why royals like Kate Middleton are always seen carrying a clutch,
and why royal ladies never take off their coats in public. When it comes to men, they are expected
to keep things more casual for less formal matters, and wear suits for fancier affairs.
In addition to following other protocols, Evening Standard recommends that those in royal
relationships should consider getting involved in charity work. Using Meghan Markle as an example,
they pointed out that the Duchess of Sussex previously stated in an interview that charity
work was something that she and her now-husband, Prince Harry, bonded over. Likewise, our favorite
etiquette expert William Hanson told the outlet that the royal family is
big on being charitable. Hanson added that charity duties were something that
Markle was already interested in before meeting Prince Harry. He said of her,
"Women don't need to find a voice. They have a voice. They need to feel empowered to use it."
Us Weekly reported that charity work played a significant role in the Duke and Duchess of
Sussex's relationship, both before their marriage and later in their decision to break away from
royal duties. One example of charity work that's important to the couple is the Invictus Games,
the first of which Prince Harry organized in 2014, two years before he met Markle.
The charity was created with the goal of earning money to assist wounded,
injured, and sick veterans and allow them to compete in Paralympic-style sports. Later,
while the pair were dating, Markle joined her partner and assisted with the charity,
something they continued to do together even after they got married.
If you've jumped into the world of royal dating, and things have gone well, maybe you're seriously
thinking about taking the next step and making things official. Still, when it comes to a royal
relationship, getting engaged and then getting married is far more complicated than simply saying
"yes" and "I do." Before embarking on a royal engagement, the royal family member might need
to first get permission from the reigning monarch. While this rule used to apply to all royal family
members, in 2013, the law was altered to only involve the six royals closest to the throne, who
at that time each had to ask Queen Elizabeth II for permission to marry. However, the source noted
that in 2015, when Princess Charlotte was born, Princess Beatrice of York became seventh in line
to the throne, thus allowing her to forgo written permission from the queen before getting engaged.
On the other hand, royals like Prince William needed to get the okay from
Queen Elizabeth II before proposing to Kate Middleton in 2010, which she gave. She even
signed a lengthy Declaration of Consent for the marriage on February 9th, 2011,
two months before the couple was wed. Likewise, when Prince Harry wanted to pop the question to
Meghan Markle, he first got his grandma's permission. Prince Harry and Meghan said
at the time that his family, including the queen, was supportive of their relationship.
"She's an incredible woman."
While it wasn't likely that Queen Elizabeth II would say no,
it's noted that if the queen had not granted her approval, Prince Harry's relationship
plans would have immediately been halted. Since Queen Elizabeth passed away in 2022,
royals would now likely have to seek permission to marry from King Charles.
Those eager to tie the knot with
their royal boo need to be aware of what they're giving up, and there are plenty
of changes to adjust to. For example, even if you're marrying the king or queen, your title
isn't quite the same as it would be if you had been born into the royal family. So if a British
queen marries a non-royal, he becomes known as a king consort, but he isn't a king. Similarly,
when Prince William takes the throne, Kate Middleton, although now a princess, will be
referred to as "Queen Consort," as Queen Camilla is now. Another thing that will be affected by
marrying a royal is political affiliation. While the royal family represents their country, they
don't participate in political events. So you'll also be expected to remain politically neutral.
Additionally, if you marry into the royal family, you'll have to be referred to by your royal title,
so Kate Middleton and Prince William are known as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge.
Another, weirder rule involves the game Monopoly: you have to give up playing if you become a member
of the royal family. In 2008, the late queen reportedly banned the royal family from playing
because they would become overly competitive.
If you and your royal partner decide you want to tie the knot, you might also need to get baptized
before walking down the aisle for your royal wedding. Before getting married to Prince Harry,
Meghan Markle got baptized in a low-key ceremony at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. The
intimate affair took approximately 45 minutes, was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury,
and was attended by then-Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. The
Duchess of Sussex's baptism officially welcomed her into the Anglican faith.
Still, Refinery29 states that Markle,
who was raised Protestant and attended a Catholic high school, didn't actually need to convert,
but likely did so as a gesture of goodwill towards Prince Harry and his family. Notably,
the write-up stated that the queen's presence in regards to the Church of England was prominent,
and she even held the official title of Supreme Governor of the Church of England. This ranking
also gave the queen the power to appoint members of authority to Anglican cathedrals. Likewise,
this means that Markle's conversion didn't just show a strong sense of loyalty to the
royal family, but also respect for the queen and what was then her role in the church.
"I, Meghan, take you, Harry."
While dating a member of royalty, you might get lucky enough to meet your partner's royal family
members. Still, even though meeting royalty can be super exciting, you'll want to refrain from
snapping a picture with them, and don't even think about taking a selfie with the king. According to
MyLondon, royals aren't supposed to take pictures, and senior members of the royal family don't even
post selfies of themselves on social media. While it might seem like this decision is
due to security issues, the outlet states that it's actually much more straightforward. The
queen didn't like selfies, and if asked, she would gently decline to take one.
Likewise, the Daily Mail reported that royals were initially more reluctant to
get their photo taken during the early days of camera phones. However, in recent years,
royals like Kate Middleton, Prince William, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have posed for
quick snaps with various members of the public. Even royals like King Charles, who's previously
admitted that he loathed selfies, has been seen taking quick pics with people eager to get a photo
with the royal. We don't yet know whether King Charles will reverse this policy altogether.