Princess Charlotte doesn’t have to worry about sitting on the throne and ruling over a country; that honor belongs to her older brother. But throne or no throne, she knows what it’s like to have an entire nation look to her for inspiration. With Kate Middleton as her mother, she learned from an early age that people really do judge books by their cover. Because of that, it’s important for her to look her best at all times.
What does that mean in practical terms? Fashion, of course! As a Royal, Charlotte is expected to abide by a wardrobe code that was set in place long before she was born. For the most part, she follows the rules like a good first daughter of England. But like all children, she finds creative ways to rebel against the rules handed down by her parents. Just which rules is she following and which ones is she breaking? Keep reading to find out!
Dresses are (almost) always the move
In the United States, leaders like Hillary Clinton popularized the suit as the perfect fashion for strong women. It sends a message: that these ladies are independent and can dress however they want. In jolly old England, however, the Royal Family keeps things old school. Because of that, Charlotte almost always wears dresses or skirts, matching her famous mother’s high feminine energy whenever they make public appearances.
Does that mean Charlotte never wears anything other than a dress? Not exactly. Every now and then, she bends the rules and wears some comfy shorts. One example of this is when the family celebrated Prince William’s birthday in 2024. In an official photo the fam shared online, all three of William and Kate’s children are wearing shorts, Charlotte included. Given that William signed off on releasing the photo, it’s clear the future King of England doesn’t mind when his daughter breaks the rules!
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Matching with mom and dad
In the photo where Charlotte wore shorts, she was actually matching the vibe of her older and younger brother. That’s important because it underscores how well she has absorbed one of the most important royal rules of all: you always make the family look good! Fortunately, the young princess doesn’t have to work too hard to look absolutely fabulous because she has two awesome fashion inspirations for parents. One is William, who always knows how to look downright regal at various public appearances. The other is Kate Middleton, who is widely respected for being one of the most fashionable royals in modern history!
Just how has their fashion influence played out with Princess Charlotte? Matching outfits, of course! While the family doesn’t usually wear perfectly matching outfits (God, can you imagine how gauche that would look?!) they do typically stick to similar color schemes and patterns. For example, just check out the photo above to see a family that looks absolutely beautiful in blue! With inspiration from her famous mother, we’re confident that Charlotte will grow up to be an absolute icon in her own right.
Bending the rules when it comes to jewelry
So, now you know about some of the royal fashion rules that Charlotte is really good at following. But what about the rules that she likes to break? The most adorable example of this is more like bending than breaking, and it has to do with something that every young girl loves: bracelets! At Wimbledon 2024, the little princess wore a pair of braided friendship bracelets. These pastel accessories didn’t go with the rest of her outfit, but she decided to rock them anyway.
She also didn’t care that the bracelets skirted one of the biggest royal fashion rules regarding accessories. When it comes to bracelets, royals aren’t allowed to wear diamonds until after 6:00 pm; until then, they have to stick with more understated jewelry, like gold and silver. However, nobody ever really tried to wear friendship bracelets before, so Charlotte became something of a trailblazer, flouting a silly rule in the cutest way possible.
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Using Princess Diana as a fashion inspiration
When it comes to Charlotte’s more open rebellion against royal fashion rules, there’s one person we can blame: the late, great Princess Diana. In her day, Diana was known for bending and breaking the rules whenever she saw fit. Case in point? She often wore denim, which Queen Elizabeth reportedly hated with a passion. Still, she always looked glam, and so does Charlotte: in a 2022 family Christmas card, she’s wearing a denim onesie that has such Diana vibes that it’s downright uncanny.
In 2025, Charlotte got even bolder, sporting bold, pink nails. Interestingly, royals don’t outright forbid nail polish, but they prefer that ladies wear neutral shades, which is what Kate Middleton always does. However, her daughter often channels the rebelliousness of Princess Diana, and she wasn’t afraid to show the whole world her pretty-in-pink nails, royal rules of fashion be damned!