Rules For The Royal Family That Even The Queen Had To Abide By

Ah, the glamorous life of the royals! How we love to watch them jet-set around the world in all of their prim finery, giving demure waves and sporting whimsical hats. Yup, the world remains endlessly fascinated by the fancy-schmancy palace lifestyle of the British royal family. But there is a downside to such a life, with plenty of rules of etiquette to keep the regal legal — and even the King or Queen must follow them.

1. Never turn your back on the monarch

Even if you think you’ve finished talking to the King or Queen, they may not feel the same way about you. To avoid any confusion, then, you must never turn your back on the monarch. Always wait for them to turn away first.

2. Always sit properly

A female member of the family must always sit with her legs together and her chin parallel to the ground. Royals don’t cross their legs at the top, but keep their thighs next to each other and cross their ankles instead. They must also master the duchess-chin-slant, as to not seem unsure, but not cocky either.

3. Dresses should be weighted down

Kate’s had a couple of accidents when her skirt’s blown up in the wind. In 2012 Jenny Packham, one of Kate’s designers, told the Evening Standard, “I had a little handwritten letter from a lady in Wisconsin passionately criticizing me for the primrose yellow shift dress I made for the duchess. She said didn’t I know about putting weights around the bottom of a hem, so it can’t blow up?” The Queen apparently had her designers do this as well.

4. Learn the special handshake

There’s a specific handshake style that the royals are taught to use. It involves grasping the other person’s hand firmly, looking them in the eye, and giving the hand one or two prim pumps. Smile and repeat…