Kate Middleton Breaks Royal Protocol With Wardrobe Choice For Recent Outing

Kate Middleton may have just broken a royal protocol during her recent outing.

Last Friday, the Duchess of Sussex visited The Nook children’s hospice in Norfolk wearing her recycled Oscar de la Renta dress. The mom of three paired her fuchsia dress with dark leggings.

Eagle-eyed royal watchers accused Middleton of not following royal protocol with her choice of tights. They claimed that female members of the royal family are supposed to wear nude stockings when they are out in public.

But in the past, royal expert Marlene Koenig said that there’s a bit of a gray area when it comes to royal wardrobe, particularly the choice of stockings. She told Harper’s Bazaar that there’s really no strict rules when it comes to female royals’ choice of pantyhose.

“While most women [royal or commoner] wear pantyhose with suits or gowns for a good slimline, it is not required by any decree from the Queen,” she said.

But two years ago, royal expert Vickie Arbiter said that it is uncommon for female royals to step out in public without nude tights. Her statement came after Meghan Markle was photographed without stockings when she posed for photographs with Prince Harry to commemorate their engagement.

“Meghan, from what I can see from the engagement photographs, it doesn't look like she was wearing tights or stockings. I would say that's really the only hard, steadfast rule in terms of what the Queen requires,” she said.

However, Prince William’s wife has also been photographed a handful of times without nude stockings. In recent years, the Duchess of Cambridge has also been photographed wearing oversized heels, which is something that’s frowned upon by the royals.

Meanwhile, there are also some instances wherein the members of the royal family are allowed to break certain protocols. For instance, Queen Elizabeth reportedly gave the Duchess of Cambridge her blessing to take photos in Balmoral before she married Prince William.