From wearing a tiara to staying out of politics here are 14 rules princesses must follow!
14.
No Crossing at the Knee
You wouldn’t think there would be rules on how to sit but there are!
Specifically, a woman in the royal family cannot sit with her legs crossed at the knee.
Apparently, it is immodest.
How, we’re not sure, but the British royals seem to think so.
Princesses must sit with their legs and knees firmly together.
Crossing at the ankle is permitted.
Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, prefers to sit using a pose called “the
duchess slant”.
This pose is created by keeping the knees and ankles together while slanting the legs
to the side.
Not only does it keep her posture modest but it also makes her legs appear longer.
The late Princess Diana preferred the same pose.
13.
Tiara Protocol
How one wears a tiara has changed over the years.
At one point, royals wore it pretty far forward on the head.
Today, though, princesses prefer a style that pushes it further back.
As with all things royal, it is a very exact style.
The tiara should be worn at a 45-degree-angle when viewed from the side.
You have to wonder if someone holds a protractor to the side of the princess’ head to make
sure they got it right!
Tiaras are worn to evening events and are an absolute must for a royal bride’s wedding
day.
The bride’s family is the one who provides the headpiece.
However, after the marriage, the princess will be expected to only wear jewelry from
the groom’s family.
This custom, though, is falling out of fashion.
12.
Hold the Cup Just So
The British and tea go hand in hand.
If rules exist for how to sit and how to wear a tiara, you can bet there are rules about
how to hold a teacup.
A princess must hold her teacup with their thumb and index finger on the top of the handle
while the middle finger supports the bottom.
They also have to sip from the same spot so that the entire rim isn’t covered in lipstick
stains.
This rule applies to whatever is being drunk, not just tea.
The cup must always be kept in the 3 o’clock position.
If they’re drinking from a coffee mug, then they must loop their index finger through
the handle.
What about keeping your pinkie out?
Royals don’t do that.
Even for them, that’s too pretentious.
11.
Cutlery Etiquette
In America, people normally hold their forks in their right hand with the tines (prongs)
up and only hold the knife to cut.
However, princesses are required to eat in the Continental style.
This is done by holding the fork in the left hand with tines down.
The knife is held in the right hand.
It’s not enough to switch the hands, either.
Both utensils must be pinched between the thumb and middle finger.
The index finger is extended on the top of the utensil as support.
A model who posed for a magazine’s etiquette guide commented that this style of eating
was very difficult to master.
Also, while Americans typically put their utensils down when they aren’t eating, princesses
are only allowed to set their cutlery aside if they need to take a drink of water or use
the restroom.
When they do set down their knife and fork, princesses must cross their silverware on
the plate.
This is to indicate to the staff that they haven’t finished eating.
But, wait!
There’s more!
Princesses have a very specific way of eating.
You’ll never see a royal spearing their food.
Instead, they balance their cut food on top of the tines of the fork.
It’s a tricky style of eating that only a royal would bother mastering.
Or maybe if you are really high society.
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10.
No Shellfish
This next rule has more to do with safety than etiquette and it applies to the entire
royal family, not just the princesses.
It is an ancient tradition that royals do not eat shellfish.
No shrimp.
No oysters.
No lobster.
Why?
To avoid food poisoning.
At one time, it was harder to keep foods fresh and shellfish is very susceptible to spoiling.
Never mind the toxins that can end up in shellfish!
Queen Elizabeth II adheres to this rule but the rest of the royals have been known to
bend it from time to time.
Princesses are also warned about other dangerous foods that could make them ill.
It’s important that they stay healthy so they can keep up with their demanding schedules.
And of course they are supposed to stay healthy so they can have children and carry on the
royal line.
9.
No Politics
You would think that a family tied up in how an entire country runs would be neck-deep
in politics.
In Britain, this isn’t the case.
Members of the Royal Family are legally allowed to vote.
However, they don’t because they feel that it would be unconstitutional.
In Britain, the constitution is not an easily referred to document like Americans have but
is a series of declarations and documents made over the years that can be interpreted
any number of ways.
The Royals choose to play it safe by staying away from the voting booth.
Besides, it keeps them neutral and, therefore, able to represent all of the people.
Princesses (and other members of the royal family) are also not allowed to hold public
office.
While there is no law or “official” rule, it might as well be for how seriously they
take it.
8.
Languages
Princesses travel a lot, as well as rub elbows with diplomats and heads of state from all
over the world.
Therefore, it’s not surprising that knowing a lot of languages is a must.
Every princess needs to learn as many languages as possible, even if it’s only to be able
to greet a visiting dignitary in their own tongue.
Princess Charlotte, in fact, has already started learning Spanish.
The late Princess Diana spoke Welsh and Sign Language.
The most common second language among the British princesses is French with German coming
in at a close second.
However, it’s more than certain that they all know a smattering of many more languages.
7.
Party Timing
We all know timing is everything.
This is especially true for a princess.
There is protocol for the order in which royals may enter a party or event.
A “blood princess” is one who is a member of the royal family by blood.
That is, she’s a direct descendant.
If the spouse of a princess is of royal blood, then she is considered “of the blood”.
Therefore, when she can enter a party or event is dependent on her husband’s pedigree.
If there is a procession, the order the royal family enters currently goes like this: Queen
Elizabeth, her husband Prince Philip, the Prince Charles and Camilla, then Prince William
and Kate.
No doubt, Prince Harry comes in right after them.
The line of succession, with the exception of Prince Philip, determines the order of
the procession.
Philip can never ascend to the throne but he can follow behind Queen Elizabeth because
he’s her Consort.
The rules regarding processions and entrances is very strict and very rarely are exceptions
made.
6.
No Nicknames
Princesses are not allowed to have nicknames.
Seriously.
They must use their official name and title in their public life.
What the public calls them is another matter entirely, of course.
For example, we all know Kate Middleton as Princess Kate.
However, her official royal title is “Her Royal Highness the Princess William of Wales”.
Her other title is “Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn,
and Lady Carrickfergus”.
When being addressed in conversation, she can be referred to as simply “Your Highness”
or “Ma’am”.
The Queen’s full title is "Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen,
Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith".
In conversation, she’s to be referred to as "Your Majesty" or "Ma'am".
Never call her Lizzie.
5.
Charity
Princesses are not allowed to sit around all day and go on shopping trips.
They do have jobs.
Outside of her usual appearances and ceremonies, each British princess must find a charitable
cause to support.
This involves organizing charity events, making public speeches, and donating money.
They can even create charities of their own.
For example, Princess Kate is involved in numerous charitable causes.
She’s a patron of the Art Room, which provides art therapy to children with emotional problems.
She also donates money to East Anglia Children’s Hospices and Action on Addiction.
However, the charity she’s most passionate about is Place2Be, which offers mental health
support to children.
4.
Give up Monopoly
This is a weird quirk that probably has more to say about the British Royal Family than
it does about how princesses should behave.
In 2008, Prince Andrew Duke of York forbade the royal family from ever playing Monopoly.
Apparently, the last game was “too vicious”.
Who knew they were all cutthroat competitors!
3.
Follow the Queen
It might be a good idea to have a snack before dinner if you’re a princess.
Doing as the Queen does is a sign of paying full attention and respect to Her Majesty.
Therefore, when the Queen stops eating, other diners must stop eating too.
This rule applies to everyone who sits down to a meal with the Queen, from Prince Philip
to mere commoners.
Hopefully, they’re letting the little Princess Charlotte slide on this rule!
What if the Queen isn’t hungry??
2.
No Touching
This general guideline applies to people who get to meet a princess.
Or, really, any member of the British Royal Family.
If you get to meet a royal, you cannot touch them.
If you’re posing for a picture, you certainly can’t drape your arm around them like basketball
player Lebron James did with Princess Kate!
While the Royal palace did confirm that James did not break any protocol, he certainly went
against the usual etiquette.
It was a little too familiar.
Judging from Kate’s reaction in the photo, while she wasn’t expecting the touch, she
played along out of good manners.
Not making a scene is another must for princesses!
1.
Must Spend Christmas with the Royal Family
Christmas is a time to spend with friends and loved ones.
For people with large families, especially spouses whose families may live on opposite
side of a country, or the world, where to spend Christmas can be a heated topic.
Well, if you’re a princess of the British Royal Family, the decision has already been
made for you.
All princesses are required to spend Christmas with the royal family.
Surprisingly, this rule has been broken on occasion.
Princess Kate likes to spend Christmas with her parents and siblings, bringing along her
two children for the fun.
According to Palace insiders, the Queen was not happy with Kate’s decision but Her Majesty
seems to have reconciled herself to her daughter-in-law’s choices.
Who knew that Kate was such a rebel!!!
Thanks for watching!