10 Strict Royal Dress Rules Princess Catherine Must Follow (and the ones she broke)

For decades under Queen Elizabeth II, royal women were bound by unyielding sartorial decrees: mandatory nude pantyhose, weighted below-the-knee hemlines, modest necklines, and an outright ban on black gowns and wedges. Bespoke, untouchable couture was the law—until Catherine, Princess of Wales, rewrote the rulebook. From stepping out bare-legged on her engagement day and renting a £74 gown in Boston to dazzling in bare-shouldered cuts and that unforgettable gold Bond premiere cape, Catherine transformed rigid palace decorum into accessible modern power. Discover the 10 strict palace dress codes Princess Catherine was meant to follow and the daring moments she broke them.