royal bags

Is this what royal ladies ACTUALLY carry inside their clutch bags?

The contents may surprise you

Parenting Editor
June 13, 2019

The royal clutch bag has long been a mystery to us mere mortals. Each time we see a regal lady step out on a public engagement they invariably have an elegant clutch in hand, coordinated perfectly with their outfit. But what exactly do they carry in there? We imagine royal handbags to contain expensive lipsticks, a pair of cashmere gloves, perhaps a silk hankie or a touching family photograph, or maybe some fancy mints.

What we wouldn't expect is the royal clutch to be a dark abyss like our own handbags, mainly taken up with our phone, purse, random receipts and who knows what else. Well, HELLO! readers, you're in for a shock because it seems that the likes of Duchess Kate and Duchess Meghan are just like us, and the revelation is all thanks to Queen Maxima of the Netherlands.

maxima

On 12 June, Maxima attended an official state banquet at the Presidential Palace in Dublin during their three-day visit. The royal looked absolutely stunning in a floor-length turquoise gown – however, she made a critical style error by leaving her gold clutch bag OPEN. Oops! Thanks to this mishap we got a full view of Maxima's mobile phone, which surely must have filled her entire bag. Not much room for makeup and gloves then.

MORE: Victoria's Secret: Swedish Princess takes style notes from Kendall Jenner in AMAZING pink gown

This isn't the first time we've seen a royal lady with a mobile phone. Last October, Duchess Meghan was spotted holding her phone with her clutch bag as they boarded a plane from Australia. The shock!

Her sister-in-law Duchess Kate has also revealed her mobile in the past. Whilst watching the gymnastics during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow back in 2014, Kate was photographed looking at her phone with Prince William and Prince Harry.

MORE: 12 times royal women wore summery white dresses! Duchess Kate, Meghan, Countess Sophie and more

Zara Phillips is another royal we've seen with a phone. During the 2015 Cheltenham Festival, the daughter of Princess Anne was snapped chatting on her mobile while dressed in her finery.

So there you have it. The royal clutch is no longer the mystery it once was; the whole thing is likely filled with a mobile phone. Wonder if they have a royal ladies WhatsApp group?

Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

More Royal Style

See more