Kate And Meghan Have Reportedly Fallen Out Over A Pair Of Tights – But Why?

Is hosiery obligatory or not? We ask the profound questions so you don't have to.

royal family tights protocol

by Natalie Hammond |
Updated on

It might be too hot to wear them right now, but tights have nonetheless found themselves at the heart of this week’s royal 'drama'. As part of its ‘Catherine the Great’ cover story for June/July, Tatler reported that, according to a friend of the Cambridges’, Kate and Meghan disagreed over whether or not the bridesmaids at the latter’s wedding, of which Kate’s daughter Charlotte was one, should wear follow protocol and wear tights. Although Kensington Palace has issued a statement that firmly denies such claims, it does beg one question: what is it with the royal family and hosiery?

Sometimes they wear them, sometimes they don’t. So what are the official rules? There isn’t, sadly, a royal dress code available for public perusal, but it seems to be common knowledge that the Queen prefers a covered leg as opposed to a bare one. This hasn’t, however, stopped both Kate and Meghan choosing to ignore said preference on occasion, but they do seem to play ball when their grandmother-in-law is in attendance.

meghan markle tights
Meghan Markle wearing tights in May 2018 ©Getty

The first time Meghan was photographed after her wedding, at a birthday celebration held at Buckingham Palace in May 2018, she wore a long-sleeved dress, saucer hat and tights with a slight white/pink tinge. This was despite the sunny temperatures, making an outfit that many fashion commentators took to signal her transformation into a member of ‘the firm’. And while it’s not always obvious whether one is or isn’t wearing tights, and why it does or doesn’t matter, Kate often wears black opaques in the Queen’s company.

kate middleton tights
Kate Middleton wearing tights in March 2019 ©Getty

All of this begs another question, of course: why on earth do we care about the royal family and their legs? With waist-up outfits a thing of the present, here’s hoping this particular debate gets shelved until further notice.

READ MORE: Kate Middleton Has Mastered The Art Of Zoom Dressing And This Is How She Did It

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