Every time Kate Middleton and Prince William broke the rules of being royal

8 October 2021, 11:53

Kate and William aren't afraid to break the rules. Picture: Getty

By Alice Dear

Prince William and Kate Middleton are two of the most senior members of the royal family, but that doesn't stop them straying from tradition from time-to-time.

Prince William, 39, and Kate Middleton, 39, have been married since 2011 and have spent over a decade as a married couple in the public eye.

Over those 10 years, the couple have welcomed three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – attended thousands of royal engagements, and created a bond with the British public.

It appears the couple haven't put a foot wrong, or have they? As surprising as it may seem, Kate and William often do break the rules of being a royal, and have been known for making their own rules when it comes to their marriage, their children and their careers.

The couple have found a sweet-spot between following important traditions and writing their own rules, which couldn't have happened without a little rule breaking.

Kate and William are not afraid to do things a little bit different. Picture: Getty

Take a look at all the times Kate and William strayed from the traditional rules of royal life:

1. Missing Christmas at Sandringham

All royal fans know that spending Christmas at Sandringham is a big deal.

The Queen and Prince Philip – prior to his death – would host a number of family members at the Norfolk estate for the festive period.

While Kate and William have attended most Christmas Days at Sandringham since they wed in 2011, there have been a couple of times they broke from tradition.

In 2012, Kate and William decided to instead spend the period with the Duchess of Cambridge's family in Berkshire.

The couple did the same in 2016, at which point they had Prince George and Princess Charlotte, who got to spend sometime with the other half of their family.

Kate and William have shunned Christmas at Sandringham before to instead spend time with her family. Picture: Getty

2. Casual photographs

Royal occasions, like birthdays, have previously been marked with new professional images released to the British press.

However, when Kate and William started marking special moments in their lives, they decided to opt for a much more relaxed and casual style.

Talented with a camera, Kate is often the artist behind birthday pictures of George, Charlotte and Louis, capturing them in the most natural way.

This tradition first started in August 2013 when the couple released family pictures with newborn Prince George, captured in the garden of Kate's family and taken by her father, Michael Middleton.

Kate Middleton will often take family portraits for special occassions. Picture: The Duchess of Cambridge

3. Change in wedding vows

When Kate and William married in April 2011 at Westminster Abbey, they had the hefty task of saying their vows in front of billions of people across the world.

And while they went off without a hitch, some people will have noticed one change the couple made to the script of the vows usually used at royal weddings.

Kate decided she wanted to take the word 'obey' out of the vows, and instead said 'I will' to the line 'Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honour and keep him'.

The first royal bride to ditch the outdated line was in fact Diana when she married Charles in 1981.

4. Posing for pictures and selfies

Most recently, Kate and William broke royal protocol alongside Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall as they attended the premiere of new James Bond film No Time To Die.

While royals don't usually pose for pictures at these red carpet events in order to distance themselves from 'celebrity' status, the foursome broke those rules for this special event.

William went one step further on the evening as well, taking a selfie with one of the attendees.

The royals recently broke royal protocol by posing for pictures on the red carpet. Picture: Getty

5. Hugs

While royals haven't historically been the most affectionate people with members of the public, that is something that has really evolved over the past decade.

Taking a leaf out of Diana's book, William and Kate are never ones to refuse a hug from a member of public.

Kate and William will never refuse a hug from an excited child. Picture: Getty

6. Romantic gestures in public

While most of the time William and Kate keep their outings very professional, there is the occasional time we see the pair engaging in PDA.

Public displays of affection between royal couples isn't exactly how they used to do things back in the day, but it is becoming increasingly acceptable for Kate and William, for example, to have an intimate moment in public.

Kate and William usually keep things very professional, but often have a moment of romance in front of the cameras. Picture: Getty

7. Calling out royal protocol

What could be more of a break from royal protocol than calling out royal protocol itself?

Back in November 2018, William and Kate made a visit to a homelessness service centre run by Centrepoint in South Yorkshire, where they had lunch with some of the organisation’s beneficiaries.

During the lunch, William saw that the woman sat next to him had a card with her which listed all the rules they thought they must follow when meeting a member of the royal family.

William found the list hilarious, and joked to the woman about it being updated.

The woman, Chelsea Jenkins, said on the exchange: "He just laughed about it. He said something about updating it. He was wonderful, easy to talk to. It has helped us and puts awareness out there that there are young people that need help and that Centrepoint have done that.”

Prince William joked about the woman's card of royal rules to follow. Picture: Getty

8. Travelling together

According to multiple reports, there is an unwritten rule within the royal family that senior members of the royal family should not fly together in one plane.

This is said to be in place for the rather grim reason that if there was to be a tragedy, not all senior members would be killed.

Kate and William have broken this rule for years now, but reportedly with the permission of the Queen.

It is reported that in 2014 the couple asked the Queen for permission to travel to Australia for their royal tour with Prince George on the flight, a request she said yes to.

The royal press office told the BBC: "While there is no official rule on this, and royal heirs have traveled together in the past, it is something that the Queen has the final say on."

9. Raising their children

When it comes to raising Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, William and Kate have tried to keep their lives as 'normal' as possible for members of the royal family.

The couple are known to teach their children about their privilege and the importance of giving back, but at the same time raising them as 'normal' children rather than heirs to the throne.

Kate and William do the school run every morning, will often dress them in high street clothing and take them along with them on runs to the supermarket.