Kate Middleton Has 'Previously Courted Controversy' By Breaking These Royal Rules

Kate Middleton officially joined the British royal family in 2011 when she married Prince William. Since then, the Duchess of Cambridge has had to learn to adhere to royal protocol as she transitioned into her new role. However, there have been times where Kate has strayed from tradition and charted her own path, which her sister-in-law Meghan Markle has also reportedly done at times. Here, we'll look at a few of those instances where Kate "previously courted controversy."

Withdrawing from the public eye

According to Express, the Duchess opted to keep her appearances "to a minimum" when she was pregnant with her third child, Prince Louis. This echoes Duchess Meghan's decision leading up to her son Archie's birth as both women are said to have desired a certain level of privacy during that time. However, Kate's decision allegedly angered Queen Elizabeth II as the outlet reports she felt she "should not shirk royal responsibility despite her pregnancy."

She was told to curtsy to blood princesses

In 2017, Her Majesty circulated an updated version of the Order of Precedence, which ranked each member of the royal family. This new ordering ranked Kate as a common-born princess. This means that she must curtsy to natural-born royals, including Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, if Prince William is not present. However, this formality does not extend if the Duke of Cambridge is with her as she receives his rank.

The Duchess was criticized for wearing gloves lined with fur

In 2016, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge went to the French Alps with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte. However, they faced some harsh criticism from PETA, the animal rights group, due to a certain photo from the trip that showed Kate wearing gloves lined with possum fur. This prompted Mimi Bekhechi, the director of PETA U.K., to say she would be "contacting" Kate over the fashion choice.

Kate decided against presenting a shamrock to the 1st battalion Irish guards

In 2016, the Duchess allegedly decided to spend that year's St. Patricks Day with her children, according to the Palace. This decision is said to have sparked public disapproval.

Both William and Kate wore the wrong clothing during a Solomon Island trip

In 2012, while touring Asia, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wore the traditional dress of the Cook Islands, which neighbor the Solomon Islands. However, it was reportedly understood that the mixup was not intentional, so it was not found to be supremely offensive.