Photos Of Kate Middleton That Prove Her Makeup Shouldn't Be Captured Up Close

British royals quite famously adhere to strict rules and protocols when it comes to beauty and dress code — but Catherine, Princess of Wales, may have more freedom than her fans might think. As the future Queen of England, Kate Middleton has received the green light to break royal rules when necessary. As royal expert Jennie Bond put it in an interview with OK!, "Kate and William are the future of the monarchy, and it's vital that she is not driven to resent the strictures [placed upon] her." Catherine has been granted more leeway than other royals, which has given her more space to experiment with bolder makeup looks.

Unfortunately, some of Catherine's makeup choices have been more stylish than others. Over the years, she has made plenty of mistakes, including circling her eyes in raccoon-like eyeliner, forgetting to reapply lipstick, and doubling down on bronzer. While these missteps have led to some less-than-ideal makeup looks, they remind us that Catherine is easy to relate to as far as royals go. Like tons of normal women, she is trying her best. And, like the best of us, she makes the occasional makeup mistake along the way.

Days before she joined the British royal family, Princess Catherine — then known as Kate Middleton –embraced an all-natural makeup look. Since Kate Middleton looks stunning without makeup, we love the idea of her embracing the dewy skin and pretty complexion that she was born with. Sadly, though, Catherine missed the mark with heavy eyeliner that drew attention away from her natural features. The thickly-rimmed liner on both the top and bottom of her eyelids also made her eyes look uncharacteristically small, which ultimately ruined the look.

When the 2012 Olympic Games came rolling around, all eyes should have been on the world's best athletes, but Princess Catherine drew some extra attention with a makeup mistake. While attending the exciting event, Catherine was photographed with some extra clumpy mascara. This makeup error distracted from the rest of her look, including a soft pink lipgloss that normally would have made her green eyes pop. Instead, Catherine's mascara stole the show, and her gorgeous eyes sank into the background.

In 2013, Princess Catherine was invited to join a group of Britain's most outdoorsy young people at the Great Tower Scout Camp in Windermere. On this occasion, Catherine leaned into the '90s grunge look with thick black eyeliner that she ostensibly hoped to match her vintage baker boy hat. Sadly, though, Catherine's eye makeup came across as both out of date and out of place. Heavy eye makeup is not ideal for an outdoor adventure, and in the wilderness, she accidentally matched the local raccoons. 

Windermere would hardly be the last time that Princess Catherine's eyeliner would inch into raccoon territory. During a 2014 state visit, the then-Duchess of Cambridge sported a smokey eye with unusually heavy eye liner on both the top and bottom rim. To make matters worse, the dark brown and gray eye shadow from the top of her eyelid made their way down to her tear troughs. As a result, it looked like she had heavy bags under her eyes — not the sort of look that royals typically strive for.

In 2015, when the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, visited the U.K., the British royal family held a state dinner and gala in his honor. Due to the solemnity of the occasion, Catherine was expected to showcase flawless makeup. Instead, she was photographed with clumpy mascara and strikingly poor contouring. Photographs of her in the car reveal that her top and bottom lashes stuck together in the corner of her eye. And her blush formed a very distinct line across her lower face, resembling a bad ski mask tan.

Back in 2016, Princess Catherine may have learned a hard lesson, as knowing how to wear makeup is one thing, but knowing when to wear it is another skillset entirely. At the Place2Be Wellbeing Education Awards ceremony, Catherine sported heavy eyeliner on her upper lids combined with a sparkly nude-brown eyeshadow combo. While this look complemented her natural beauty perfectly, it was too formal for an event featuring kids and educators who were wearing their best classroom wear. 

Typically, Princess Catherine is known for wearing makeup that highlights her best features. However, at a Stepping Out session in Manchester back in 2017, the then-Duchess of Cambridge wore foundation that accentuated the fine lines on her face, possibly caused by over-application or a poor-quality product. As a result, the princess appeared to sport deep creases around her eyes and on her forehead. This is one of the classic makeup mistakes that can make you look older — and ruin your look for the night.

Even when Princess Catherine's makeup is nearly perfect, eagle-eyed photographers can destroy the image that she's going for. Such was the case on a 2018 visit to Evelina London Children's Hospital when Catherine aced the "no makeup" makeup trend. The tone of her foundation made her skin look dewy and fresh, while the salmon shade of her lipstick matched her coloring perfectly. Sadly, though, the picture revealed a thick layer of eyeliner and eyeshadow on her upper eyelids — ruining the illusion.

Blush is meant to add a pop of color to your cheeks, but at a 2018 gala for the Diplomatic Corp, Princess Catherine looked like she had a second-degree sunburn. The then-Duchess of Cambridge appears to have gotten a little heavy-handed with the bright pink blush, leaving her with a look more reminiscent of a beach bar than a state event. The mascara on her lower lashes was additionally a bit on the clumpy side, and once again, her foundation application technique accentuated the fine lines of her skin. 

Christmas is a busy time of year for Princess Catherine of Wales, so she spends December on the go. In 2019, though, she apparently let go of her makeup goals and showed up at the holiday celebration looking straight-up tired. Wearing pale lipstick with no gloss and visibly chapped lips, Catherine's mouth was bumpy and dry. With dark eyeliner that rimmed both the top and bottom lids of her eyes, this look made her complexion appear lackluster. Less liner would have made her seem more refreshed.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Prince William and Princess Catherine resorted to virtual engagements, rather than physical ones, to support the policy of social distancing. Unfortunately, though, during one such call, Catherine's contouring was so intense that her cheeks appeared very dark, while the area beneath her eyes practically glowed under the lights. Once again, Catherine's makeup made it seem like she'd just spent a week hitting the slopes — not a great look for a princess addressing a nation in crisis.

Christmas in Great Britain tends to come with an onslaught of damp weather, and Princess Catherine knows it. What she didn't seem to understand during the 2020 holiday season, however, is that high humidity environments can make it easy for eyeshadow to shift out of place. To avoid this, experts advise embracing lighter eye makeup in damper climates — a tip that Catherine did not follow. Photos from a 2020 Christmas outing reveal that her eyeshadow smudged and landed on her lower eyelid, creating a droopy and unbalanced look.

On September 19, 2022, Princess Catherine attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II's late husband Prince Philip. Held during the pandemic, the event required the use of masks. Interestingly, Catherine decided to wear bold winged eyeliner to make her eyes pop — breaking with the late queen's example of classic and timeless makeup. Given that winged eyeliner has became the makeup equivalent of skinny jeans — a Millennial staple deemed outdated by Gen Z — it would have been best for Catherine to go with a more simple look.

Prince Louis and Princess Catherine enjoyed a sweet moment at the Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament when the young royal whispered something into his patient mother's ear. Photographers jumped to capture the moment up-close — but accidentally captured Catherine's fading lipstick instead. Streaks were visible mid-lip, where a gorgeous salmon shade had worn off over the course of the day. Queen Elizabeth II was famously unafraid to reapply lipstick during royal outings — and Catherine should follow suit!

At the 2022 Award for British Design, Princess Catherine applied so much makeup that photos of the event show powder clinging to her cheeks. Ultimately, this full-coverage foundation and powder strategy did not give Catherine the youthful glow that she was going for — instead creating the impression that she had something to hide. This was not the only mistake that the princess made on this occasion. Her lipliner also dipped a bit too far below her mouth on one side, giving her makeup a rushed look.

Princess Catherine attended the 2022 Diplomatic Corps reception in a glittery red dress and bright, vermilion makeup to match. With scarlet blush and a bold red lip, Catherine definitely leaned into the heavier side of the makeup world. And, rather than opting for lighter eye makeup to tone down the look, the princess went for dark eyeshadow and a thick line of charcoal eyeliner. The overall result was very Hollywood — and too glitzy for a royal who is expected to embody subtler tastes.

Princess Catherine definitely didn't sport one of her best makeup looks on a 2023 tour of the Foundling Museum. Photos of the event show that excessive contouring lent an orange tone to her cheekbones, making her look slightly sunburned. Her lipstick, meanwhile, was clearly not adequately applied throughout the day. One picture shows that the salmon pink shade had flaked off on key parts of her lips, adding a certain blotchiness to the area. 

On the day of the 2023 national service for Thanksgiving, Princess Catherine was suffering from dark bags under her eyes. And, while she did largely cover these up with concealer, the princess opted for dark eyeliner and dark eyeshadow — which, unfortunately, accentuated the bags in question. Catherine's dark eye makeup gave her an exhausted appearance that contrasted greatly with the perfect dewy makeup look embraced by most big names at the time. A lighter eye could have made Catherine seem more engaged and better rested.

One of Princess Catherine's many responsibilities is to appear at the Royal Collection Exhibition and speak to crowds. In 2023, her time at this event was blemished — literally — by the overly enthusiastic streak of bright blush that rocketed across her cheeks. The best blush looks natural, while the worst screams "clown cheeks." Here, Catherine was treading into the latter territory due to both the copious application and attention-grabbing shade of her blush. A more natural cheek would have looked more attractive — and more regal.

The incident at the Royal Collection Exhibition would not be the last time that Princess Catherine's cheeks stole the show — in a bad way. When the Amir of Qatar visited Britain on a 2024 state visit, Catherine's contouring and blush were so intense that her cheeks actually looked rounder than usual. She also appeared to sport a strangely localized windburn jetting upward from the flesh below her cheekbones. The incident shows that contouring really can change the perceived shape of your face — for better or for worse.

While visiting the Sudbury Silk Mills in 2025, Princess Catherine was photographed with a glaring eyeliner mistake. Rather than applying the tool to the waterline on her bottom lids, she slapped some directly on to the skin below. Paired with the clearly visible eyeliner on her top lid, this created a circle around her eye — and the dreaded raccoon effect to boot. This look would have looked more appropriate as part of a Halloween costume than a royal makeup style.

When the British royal family held a state visit for the German president in 2025, Princess Catherine dressed her absolute best. What was not so great, however, was the princess' makeup. She wore excessive amounts of dewy foundation with insufficient power caked along her chin. Her eyeshadow also accentuated the fine lines around her eyes, as opposed to the actual eyes themselves. To top that all off, Catherine's bronzer was slightly darker than her natural skin color — portraying her as more of a "Love Island" newcomer than a royal.

MAGAverse is overflowing with makeup mistakes, and Princess Catherine seemed to embrace the look while honoring women's rugby in 2025. With dark brows, prominent eyeliner, and smudged eyeshadow, Catherine would have blended right in at a table with the likes of Kimberly Guilfoyle or Alina Habba. Her textured eyeshadow and the overly bright shade of her blush only accentuated this look. MAGA makeup is known for quantity over quality — an idea that Catherine seemed to grasp onto with all her might.

Sloppy makeup is never a good look, but Princess Catherine made a glaring makeup mistake in Scotland that gave 2026 an unfortunate start. In January of that year, the princess traveled up to the Land of Cakes and stepped out with an eyeliner mistake that attracted the wrong sort of attention. In lining her bottom lid — while missing the waterline completely — Catherine sported raccoon-like circles that appeared less than regal. Add that to a stray line beneath her brows, and her look was altogether sloppy.

The point of concealer is, well, to conceal spots or blemishes on one's skin, but Princess Catherine may have missed the memo. At a 2026 royal engagement, the princess added a copious dollop of concealer to a spot just below her lip. But, rather than hide anything, the concealer just made this spot stand out. In a shade too pale for Catherine's complexion, the cream concealer simply highlighted the area. And, as the princess didn't blend the edges with her foundation, it formed a defined circle beneath her lip.