The Unwritten Rule That Made Royal Watchers Coin A New Phrase For Kate Middleton

Being a member of the royal family can be tiring. Being a female member is downright exhausting (with the fortunate side effect of some seriously strong adductor muscles, we should note). Apparently, sitting properly is a workout in itself. Royal women are expected to sit with their knees and ankles together at all times so they don't accidentally flash a low-angle camera and cause an international incident. Though not exactly inscribed in the royal rulebook, this position is highly preferable to crossing the legs at the knee like us mere commoners. 

Kate Middleton has been caught breaking some royal rules over the years, but she has this unwritten protocol down pat, to the extent royal watchers coined a phrase for the Princess of Wales' signature seated position: The duchess slant. Beaumont Etiquette originated the term, with royal etiquette expert Myka Meier explaining to People in 2016, "It is the perfect pose for when a camera is shooting directly in front of you because by slightly slanting the knees to create a zig-zag effect when wearing a dress or skirt, your legs are angled so that the camera only shoots the sides of your legs and protects your modesty." 

Chris Jackson/Getty

In order to get the position exactly right, you have to sit tall, shoulders forward, knees and ankles tightly together, and gently dip your knees to the side to create that slight diagonal line. Our thigh muscles are complaining just reading this — imagine having to sit like that throughout an entire public engagement! King Charles III's former butler, Grant Harrold, told the Daily Mail (via OK! magazine) that this position also keeps female royals from accidentally tripping bypassers up with a random foot suspended mid-air when legs are crossed at the knees. Painful but practical. Got it.

Princess Catherine isn't just known for her impeccable posture and the ability to keep her legs perfectly positioned during royal engagements; she's also beloved for her personality. Kate Middleton is reportedly a totally different person away from the spotlight, and she appears to let her guard down among children as well. In January 2020, the Princess of Wales paid a visit to LEYF Stockwell Gardens Nursery, where she served the kids breakfast. Royal fans were impressed with Catherine's deep care and affection for her young charges, even taking to the comments section to describe her as the "children's princess," a phrase reminiscent of the People's Princess, which Princess Diana famously bore. 

"She's truly the children's princess," one impressed fan wrote on Instagram. "Children's Princess! Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge and our future Queen!" another proclaimed. Catherine showed she really is the children's princess when she took full responsibility for her lack of a fancy princess dress during an encounter with a 3-year-old girl in February 2020. Young Annabel was excited to meet Catherine because she'd never encountered a real-life princess. However, despite her knack for sporting gorgeous royal looks, Annabel was disappointed in Catherine's attire, and she wasn't afraid to say it.

Her mother explained to the Daily Mail that she had warned the Princess of Wales that her daughter was in her Disney Princess phase, and therefore had some preconceived ideas of what she was supposed to look like. Catherine looked the little girl in the eye and told her, "I'm really sorry I'm not wearing a pretty dress today," to which Annabel replied, "I thought you'd look like Cinderella." Yep, she's the children's princess, alright.