Part of being a member of British royalty means having to always be camera ready. After all, they are one of the most photographed families in the world, so it pays to keep up the standards and rules that Queen Elizabeth set for her family to follow. Even with those guidelines, as well as the other tips and tricks royals use to avoid such mishaps, there are still little faux pas that not even the queen herself is immune from.
There are dozens of ways to embarrass yourself out in public, and when you’re a member of British royalty, you can probably expect the chances of such incidents to increase exponentially. No matter what the royals are up to or where they are, photographers are never far behind. With all those photos being taken around the clock, a few are bound to be unflattering or feature some sort of wardrobe malfunction or other faux pas. Not even Queen Elizabeth has been able to avoid those types of situations in her 70 years on the throne.
The Queen’s Flowery Fumble
It’s a well-known fact that the royal family accepts all gifts they’re offered by well-wishers while out in public. Queen Elizabeth received such a gift from one supporter in the form of a lovely bouquet, but she accidentally bobbled the floral present and dropped it on the ground. She was able to quickly pick it back up before continuing on her way, but not before a photographer was able to capture several photos of the unusually clumsy moment from the typically graceful queen.
Wind Won’t Get Camilla Parker Bowles Down
In a country that sees as much rain as the U.K., it’s a given that you’ll eventually have to use an umbrella while out at a public event. Unfortunately for Prince Charles’ wife Camilla Parker Bowles, she not only had to deal with a spot of rain that day but also some very strong winds.
Parker Bowles’ iconic blonde fringe is being blown all over the place, but it’s her umbrella that seems to be causing her the most difficulty. She’s gripping that thing so tightly we’re surprised it didn’t snap in half. That’s not the only thing she’s got a strong grip on. Her smile didn’t slip an inch even as she struggled with the wind for control of her umbrella.
Grate Got Kate Middleton’s Heel
Queen Elizabeth set the standard for how royal women dress in public, and it’s one of the monarch’s unspoken rules about shoes that led her granddaughter-in-law Kate Middleton to this predicament. The queen reportedly prefers for royal women to wear closed-toe heels or stilettos, though of course there’s been some rule-breaking on that front.
Perhaps Middleton wished she’d broken the rule that rainy St. Patrick’s Day and worn wedges, which the queen apparently doesn’t care for. If she had, her heel probably wouldn’t have gotten trapped in a metal grate. Prince William gallantly offered his wife his arm as she bent to free herself. We’re glad he lent his assistance, as Middleton was visibly pregnant at the time with the couple’s firstborn child, Prince George.
The Wind Strikes Again
Kate Middleton had further wardrobe problems when she attended her cousin-in-law Princess Eugenie’s 2018 wedding. At least that day was free of rain, but it was the wind that caused her so much trouble. Middleton wore a bright pink, long-sleeved dress with a skirt that hit her mid-calves when it behaved. When it didn’t, with some help from a very cheeky breeze, it revealed not only Middleton’s knees but a portion of her thighs that she typically keeps covered up.
We Spy A Tag Left On Meghan Markle’s Dress
Meghan Markle didn’t spend much time as a working member of the royal family, but she left a massive impact after she and her husband Prince Harry picked up and moved to her native California. During her time, however, she had a packed schedule full of official visits around not only the U.K. but around the world.
During one of those trips, the couple’s 2018 tour of Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand, photographers caught a seemingly minuscule detail: a sales tag mistakenly left on the gown. It was dangling on the underside of Markle’s skirt, just a few inches above her hem.
It was a windy day that whipped her hair around her face as she and Harry made their way down the airplane stairs. Another wardrobe malfunction in the royal family was caused by the wind but easily fixed with a pair of scissors or particularly strong teeth.
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