Things Princess Charlotte Will Never Be Able To Do
As the only daughter of the future king, many would assume that Princess Charlotte of Wales is constantly treated like the princess she is. Undoubtedly, being a member of the royal family comes with some serious perks. Not only does Charlotte get to split her time between a quaint 200-year-old English cottage on the grounds of Windsor Castle and a 20-room apartment in Kensington Palace (per Architectural Digest), but she also gets to make the most of the family's personal chef and prestigious educational opportunities.
However, it seems that these royal perks also pose some serious problems, especially for an eight-year-old child with her whole life ahead of her. After all, Charlotte will never be a 'normal' child. She'll have to follow strict royal requirements and weird royal rules, and as third in line to the throne, she'll be expected to be on her best behavior at all times. Because of this, there are so many things that she'll never be able to do — and these are things that many of us (and our kids) take for granted.
She's encouraged not to have a best friend
It's normal for kids and adults alike to have one best friend or multiple best friends. According to child psychologist Eileen Kennedy-Moore, "Having a caring best friend is linked to, for example, less loneliness and anxiety, reduced impact of peer rejection and bullying, and better general self-worth and school engagement," (via Psychology Today). However, Princess Charlotte of Wales was encouraged not to have a best friend.
This idea had nothing to do with her royal title or her royal ties, though. It was instead encouraged by her former school, Thomas's Battersea. The young royal attended the $23,000-per-year school alongside her brother, Prince George, of Wales for four years, from 2019 until 2022 (per People). And in May 2022, British journalist Jane Moore spoke to the talk show "Loose Women" about the best friend rule. She told the panel, "There's a policy that if your child is having a party, unless every child in the class is invited you don't give out the invites in class, which I think is quite a good thing as you don't feel excluded. There are signs everywhere saying be kind, that's the ethos of the school. They don't encourage you to have best friends" (via The Sun).
Now, all three royal siblings attend the prestigious Lambrook School, but it's not known where Lambrook stands on the best friend front.
She probably won't become a Duchess
Her mother is the Duchess of Cambridge and her aunt is the Duchess of Sussex, but there's a high chance that Princess Charlotte of Wales probably won't become a duchess herself. Marie Claire reports that Charlotte will only be able to claim this title if she marries a duke, as all dukedoms in the United Kingdom are passed down exclusively through the male line. This means that it's highly likely that her siblings, Prince George and Prince Louis, will be given a peerage — AKA become dukes — when they get married. But that doesn't mean that Charlotte doesn't have a chance.
Although current rules state that Charlotte can only become a duchess if she marries into the right family, it's been rumored that King Charles III could change this old-fashioned rule. According to Mail on Sunday, Charles has a new, modern vision for the monarchy that involves shaking up royal titles. But even if she doesn't become a duchess, it's been suggested that Charlotte will follow in the footsteps of Princess Anne and become Princess Royal when her father ascends to the throne — and when Anne dies. As per tradition, this title is normally bestowed upon the monarch's eldest daughter (per Elle).
She can't keep pricey gifts from the public
Although the royal family is known for giving weird gifts, the rules aren't quite as flexible when it comes to receiving gifts. In fact, royals have to abide by a seven-page rulebook that outlines the policy around the acceptance of these gifts. This rulebook states that, while royals can graciously accept gifts from fans, they cannot do so if they will "place the member of the Royal Family under any obligation to the donor." Because of this, anything that has a monetary value over £150 has to be refused.
This rule will no doubt still be in place as Princess Charlotte of Wales gets older, which means that she won't be able to keep many gifts from the public — aside from a bunch of flowers if she chooses to accept them. However, it seems that the young princess is already used to giving away gifts that she's received.
It's believed that Prince William and Princess Catherine are conscious of how many gifts their children receive throughout the year. And while fans across the globe want to spoil the young royals with Christmas gifts during the holiday period, the couple wants to avoid spoiling their kids at all costs. In fact, a source close to the royal family revealed that many of the presents sent to them for Christmas are donated to children's charities and toy banks (per Us Weekly).
She won't be able to pose for selfies
As a youngster growing up in a world full of social media and selfies, Princess Charlotte of Wales will no doubt be exposed to this technology as she gets older. Even now, the youngster is photographed at every event she attends, and is used to paparazzi following her every move. But while fans love seeing the official photographs of the youngster on Instagram, it's unlikely that we will ever see Charlotte pose for a selfie.
Although the royal website offers guidance to the general public on how to greet a royal, there are no specific or official rules regarding selfies. However, royal correspondent Victoria Murphy revealed that Meghan Markle seemingly confirmed the rule against selfies during a public appearance in 2017. The Duchess of Sussex reportedly told a couple, "We're not allowed to do selfies."
Despite this unofficial rule, though, more and more royals are choosing to make their own decisions about their selfie antics. In 2020, Prince William posed for a selfie with a fan during a trip to County Kildare in Ireland (per People), and his wife joined him for selfies with around 20 hospital staff, volunteers, and visitors during a 2023 visit to Liverpool (per People). So, we'll just have to wait and see if Charlotte decides to follow in her parent's footsteps.
She's not allowed to travel on a plane with her father
Whether they're traveling abroad for royal tours or taking a private vacation, there's no doubt that royals are used to flying across the globe. In fact, Princess Charlotte of Wales has already had the pleasure of traveling to destinations that are on many people's bucket lists. In 2019, the Cambridge family celebrated Prince George's sixth birthday on the beautiful Caribbean island of Mustique (per House Beautiful), and in 2021, they traveled to Jordan, where they posed for their traditional family Christmas portrait (per People).
However, it's long been thought that royal heirs are not allowed to travel on the same plane together in order to preserve the line of succession (via Cosmopolitan). As such, Charlotte technically should not be allowed to fly on the same plane as her father. However, a royal spokesperson told the BBC in 2014, "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."
In fact, Charlotte's own father has broken this unofficial rule many times over the years. And in 2022, Prince William raised the stakes even further when he flew Charlotte to the Commonwealth Games in a helicopter (via People). But according to Express, the monarch cannot continue to override this rule after the royal child has turned 12 years old. So, Charlotte may only have a few years left of flying with William.
She can't wear dresses without pantyhose
Princess Catherine of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales are like two peas in a pod when it comes to their style. These ladies often wear matching outfits, and Charlotte has often been spotted wearing her mom's go-to brands and designers (via Harper's Bazaar). And while we're likely to see Charlotte's fashion sense change and evolve as she gets older, she'll also have to be conscious of the Royal Family's dress code.
One major rule Charlotte will have to consider is the no-bare-legs rule. Although this has not been officially enforced by the Royal Family, bare legs have always been considered scandalous, and it's believed that the late Queen Elizabeth II expected all female members of the family to follow her lead by wearing nude stockings with dresses and skirts (per Insider). So, we can expect to see Charlotte continue to wear pantyhose when she gets older, especially as stockings caused a major divide between her mother and Meghan Markle.
In 2018, The Telegraph reported that Kate "left in tears following a bridesmaids dress fitting for Princess Charlotte." At the time, nobody knew what had caused such a reaction. But two years later, royal sources told Tatler (via Daily Mail) that it was Meghan's refusal to follow royal protocol and give Charlotte and the other young bridesmaids pantyhose to wear that caused the rift between them.
She may never be allowed to play Monopoly
Many kids spend their free time playing video games or board games, but not Princess Charlotte of Wales. According to Us Weekly, Prince William and Princess Catherine have banned their children from using iPads. "They're very much seen as Mummy and Daddy's toys, not for children. As two people who grew up without gadgets for entertainment themselves, William and Kate are firm believers in toys, outdoor play, and encouraging an active imagination," a royal insider told the publication. What's more, it's also unlikely that Princess Charlotte will ever be allowed to play Monopoly.
Although more than one billion people have played Monopoly worldwide (per Good Housekeeping), Charlotte and her siblings probably aren't part of that number. It's been reported that the late Queen Elizabeth II actually banned royals from playing the competitive board game, and Prince Andrew explained a little more about that during a 2008 visit to the newly refurbished Leeds Building Society's headquarters. Per Express, Andrew was gifted the game before he was due to leave. However, he declined the gift and remarked, "We are not allowed to play Monopoly at home." He also hinted towards the reasoning, stating, "It gets too vicious."
Of course, this was a rule that the late monarch put in place. So, there's always a chance that King Charles III will switch things up and give Charlotte and her siblings the chance to buy Mayfair or "do not pass go."
She probably won't ever eat shellfish
In May 2023, Princess Charlotte of Wales proved that she was just like the rest of us when she picked up a s'more she'd dropped on the floor and popped it back in her mouth (via People). However, the young princess needs to be careful about what she eats, as she still needs to abide by some rather strict royal food rules. And one of the most important royal rules she needs to follow is to avoid shellfish at all costs.
Although it's not an official rule, it's reported that royals are advised against eating shellfish if they have a busy schedule ahead of them, to avoid food poisoning. Former royal butler Grant Harrold told Express, "When dining, the Royal Family has to be careful with shellfish due to shellfish poisoning, due to their work schedules. Therefore you will not normally find this on the royal menu."
As Charlotte gets older, her royal duties will increase, so she might not risk eating shellfish in order to avoid the risk of illness. Alternatively, Charlotte may choose to forego meat or fish entirely, as the whole family seems to be making the move towards a more plant-based lifestyle. Princess Charlotte and Prince George used to go meatless one day a week at their old school (per The U.S. Sun), and in 2023, it was reported that their grandfather, King Charles III, was looking to hire a vegan chef for Buckingham Palace (via New York Post).
She won't be able to vote
It's not known whether any royals have exercised their right to vote over the years, but a Buckingham Palace spokesperson told Newsweek that "by convention" senior members of the Royal Family who are "close to the Queen" (or the current monarch) choose not to vote. This is because royals are meant to be politically impartial, as stated on the official royal website.
Both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have confirmed the royals' stance on voting, too. In August 2020, Meghan interviewed journalist Emily Ramshaw to discuss gender equity. During their conversation, Meghan revealed, "I look at my husband for example; he's never been able to vote, and I think it's such an interesting thing to say the right to vote is not a privilege, it is a right in of itself."
A month later, Prince Harry also had his say on the matter. In a TIME 100 interview with his wife, the couple encouraged Americans to vote in the 2020 U.S. elections, and Harry revealed, "This election, I'm not going to be able to vote here in the US. But many of you may not know that I haven't been able to vote in the UK my entire life." And as Harry was in the same boat as Princess Charlotte of Wales during his youth — i.e., the second-born child of the first in line to the throne — we can only assume that Charlotte also won't exercise her right to vote.
She can't go anywhere by herself
During official events and public appearances, you won't spot a member of the Royal Family without a royal bodyguard. Even Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are covered by royal protection when they attend official events (per Express). But as the daughter of the future king, Princess Charlotte of Wales' 24/7 security comes as standard.
Prince William and Princess Catherine have proven on many occasions that they keep their children on a tight leash, in order to avoid any security threats or incidents. In 2019, The Sun revealed that Prince George's school friends even had to pass a background check before they could have a playdate at Kensington Palace. A source told the publication, "It does involve a bit more planning than a normal play date, as everyone visiting the palace has to be security vetted."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cambridge children also got to bypass one of their school's strictest social distancing rules. While most pupils at Thomas's Battersea had to be dropped outside of the school gates before making their own way into the school grounds, Prince William and Kate were able to still drop their children (and their security detail) inside of the gates (per Mirror). With these things in mind, it's highly unlikely that Charlotte will ever be able to go anywhere without her security guards by her side.
She won't be able to wear a tiara until she's married
When you think of princesses, you think of tiaras. And while it would be easy to assume that Princess Charlotte of Wales has a whole host of royal tiaras at her disposal, that isn't the case. In fact, she has never worn a tiara — and she won't wear a tiara for at least another decade. That's because there are many royal rules around tiaras, including the rule that a tiara cannot be worn before 6 p.m. (per Marie Claire).
However, the rule that currently affects Charlotte is one that states that tiaras can only be worn by married royal women, or royal brides on their wedding day. King Charles III's former butler and etiquette expert, Grant Harrold, confirmed this rule while speaking to the BBC. "For married ladies it [a tiara] was a sign of status and would show you were taken and not looking for a husband. For the gentleman it was a clear sign not to make advances toward the lady in question," he revealed. Because of this, Princess Catherine, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie donned tiaras for the first time when they wore their stunning royal wedding tiaras.
Although Charlotte won't be able to wear her first tiara until she gets married, she has experimented with similar headgear. For her grandfather's coronation in May 2023, Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte wore matching Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpieces that were very tiara-esque (via People).
She definitely can't slouch
As we already know, the jury is still out on whether Princess Charlotte of Wales will become a duchess or not. But while she might not be able to use this royal title, she will no doubt have to follow the rules when it comes to slouching and the "Duchess Slant." This term was coined by etiquette expert Myka Meier, who explained a little more about this pose during an interview with People. "Typically the 'duchess slant' is used when a lady has to sit for an extended amount of time while keeping poise and posture."
According to Meier, one of the "biggest etiquette mistakes a lady can make" is to cross her legs at the knee, which is why you'll never see Princess Catherine making this mistake. In fact, the "Duchess Slant" position has widely become associated with Charlotte's mom, who seems to have perfected this pose over the years. And it seems as though she's already passing down her knowledge and experience to her daughter.
In October 2018, Prince William and Kate celebrated Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's wedding by posting their official wedding portraits on Instagram. Of course, some fans were quick to congratulate the newlyweds, but others couldn't ignore the fact that the young Charlotte, who served as a bridesmaid for the event, seemed to showcase her own "Duchess Slant." Although it wasn't quite as defined as her mother's, the basics were still there.