There's plenty of etiquette rules that come with being a royal - and lots of these fall in the fashion bracket. There's the custom of wearing tights all year round and big regulations about wearing black (more on that later!)
But one fashion protocol that is normally adhered to is the hemline rule. Mini skirts are a no-no and it's recommended that royal ladies opt for helmlines no higher than four inches above the knee.
© GettyOf course, sometimes it can't be helped if a fit of a dress perhaps shows a little more than expected, which is why we were surprised at this unearthed picture we found from 2011, which shows the Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Beatrice were walking to the Easter Matins at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
Alongside Princess Eugenie, the royal ladies headed to the annual service which is, of course, a formal royal engagement. As you can see, Sophie, who is married to Prince Edward, is rocking a delightful navy blue dress, which is a little shorter than her usual taste, and redhead royal Princess Beatrice wore an on-trend-at-the-time peplum dress - with an even higher hem!
Eugenie, meanwhile, stuck to the rule in her white ensemble, which was of the regular, expected length.
Royals wearing black
Some of these rules have become more relaxed over the years. One such protocol concerns wearing black, a colour that should be reserved for periods of mourning in the royal world.
© GettyThe late Princess Diana was often seen as a rebellious dresser and regularly defied this rule.
In 1981, when she was engaged to the then Prince Charles, Diana wore a show-stopping black gown by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, to a fundraising concert. It caused quite the stir! Many years later, Diana was interviewed for her biography in 1991, and reportedly said that when Charles saw her in the dress, he remarked: "Only people in mourning wear black!"
© GettyThe Duchess of Sussex has often taken a leaf out of her late mother-in-law's book when it comes to clothes, and during her time as a working royal, she largely stuck to an all-black wardrobe ever since her fairytale royal wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.
