Classy, put-together, well-dressed — these are just a few of the words that might come to mind when you think about the royal family making public appearances. Their love of designer gowns, their standard of wearing hats in public, and their impeccable skin and hair have all helped the royals build a reputation for looking really, really great any time they step out.
However, even the most put-together and stylish dressers have a bad day, right? We spill something on our favorite shirt or tear a sleeve while out and about. It happens, and the royal family has certainly shown us it can happen to anyone! While it has been suggested that they’ve become well-known for clothing mishaps, maybe that isn’t a fair interpretation of the multitude of pictures of wind-blown dresses and missing shoes. When you live your life in the public eye, every move is examined as if under a magnifying glass.
Maybe public scrutiny is the real problem?
If anything, each and every wardrobe malfunction caught by the camera is an excellent example of how gracefully the royal family recovers from the public’s watchful eye and resulting criticism. These eighteen wardrobe malfunctions are no exception, showing how being watched so closely has taught the royals to think on their feet and laugh off the embarrassment of their missteps.
A Forgotten Price Tag
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The Duchess of Sussex looked lovely in Tonga…
But the cameras caught something she missed.
In October, Prince Harry and Meghan made a visit to the kingdom of Tonga. Upon their arrival, Meghan wore a beautiful, coral dress by Self-Portrait but missed one, tiny detail: the price tag.
Honestly, I just made that mistake myself earlier this month!
Considering the duchess was early in her pregnancy with Archie at this point, this little mishap is totally understandable.
When Kate Stood Out
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When the Duchess of Cambridge made a fashion statement at the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, it didn’t go over well.
In 2012, The Daily Mail harshly criticized Kate Middleton for choosing to wear a bright red outfit to a public appearance with the royal family when the rest of the family stuck with neutral colors. Accusing her of trying to steal the spotlight seems a little harsh. Plus, we think she looked fabulous!
A Gust of Wind
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The royal family has a long history of being met by untimely gusts of wind.
From lost hats to windblown skirts, the documentation of these moments is all over the internet. The internet can be particularly cruel, and tabloids fuel the fire.
Fun fact:
It’s actually common practice for the women of the royal family to add weights to their skirts to avoid incidents like those mentioned below.
It happens to the best of us…
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No one could have predicted this wardrobe malfunction, but Kate Middleton has experienced it time and time again.
Not long after they were married, Kate Middleton joined Prince William on a trip to Alberta. When they landed in Calgary, a gust of wind sent Kate’s skirt flying. If you take a good look at the rest of the pictures from the day, she is smiling gracefully and has fully recovered from the little snafu.
Good for you, Kate!
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Unfortunately, this wasn’t the last wind-related wardrobe malfunction for Kate.
In 2016, while on a visit to India, the Duchess of Cambridge was faced with the wind once again. It sent her skirts flying. Naturally, the press was there and waiting to document the event. Given the white color of her dress, it makes sense that this wardrobe malfunction has been dubbed her “Marilyn Monroe moment.”
I mean, there are worse people to be compared to…
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The Duchess of Cornwall joins the fun.
It seems unfair for Kate to get so much attention for wardrobe malfunctions she can’t control, especially since she’s not the only family member to experience this exact mishap. In 2015, Camilla Park-Bowles stepped out for Sunday services in a powder-blue dress and had her own “Marilyn Moment” outside of St. Mary Magdalene Church.
Not the best place for such a wardrobe malfunction, unfortunately.
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Even the Queen can’t avoid the wind.
The Queen might follow protocol to a T, but even weights in her skirts can’t completely protect her from the power of the wind. One iconic shot documents a young Queen Elizabeth grabbing at her hat when the wind took her by surprise. These shots were taken in 1979 when she was visiting Oman.
The Pesky Grate
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While making an appearance at a new treatment center in 2018, Kate Middleton’s heels got stuck in a grate on the street.
It wasn’t long before pictures of the wardrobe malfunction began circulating the internet, as is typical when you’re in the public eye anytime you step out. As for her recovery? The pictures are worth a thousand words. Kate’s smiling and laughing the entire time she’s freeing her shoe.
At least she’s having fun!
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Unlike Kate, Princess Mary lost her shoe completely.
Princess Mary of Denmark has had her own issues with high-heeled shoes. In 2010, while visiting the Arlington National Cemetery here in the United States, her beige heel became wedged in a cement crack and slipped right off her foot.
There’s a reason why heels are such a pain!
It wasn’t long before pictures of this wardrobe malfunction were circulating the internet, along with her quick retrieval.
A Near Disaster
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Lucky for her, Queen Elizabeth II experienced this private near-mishap, which only became public when she chose to share it with the world.
At her coronation, Queen Elizabeth’s crown nearly caused her a problem. For a documentary celebrating 65 years on the throne, she revealed that the crown she wore was quite heavy and awkward.
Unable to bend her neck at all, she had a difficult time walking with the crown in place.
At one point, she thought she might not be able to move at all. Keeping her cool and continuing to make her way to the chapel is truly an impressive recovery.
Tiara Troubles
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A snapped tiara nearly disrupted the queen’s wedding day.
According to The Telegraph, Queen Elizabeth II intended to wear her grandmother’s tiara on her wedding day. Made in 1919 for Queen Mary, this fringe tiara was a bit delicate and snapped the morning of. Even though others tried to convince her to wear something else, the real relief came when a jeweler was able to quickly fix the tiara for the big day.
A Royal Spill
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When Princess Diana wed Prince Charles, the public saw a perfect day, but Diana was hiding a major wardrobe malfunction.
A final spritz of perfume turned into a wedding day disaster, according to Express. Princess Diana accidentally spilled her perfume on her iconic wedding dress, resulting in a visible stain.
What’s the royal version of a Tide stick?
The most impressive part of this whole story is that she managed to keep it concealed from the public by either holding on to her skirt as if to avoid tripping or expertly placing her bouquet.
The Clutch, Explained
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Many photos of Princess Diana stepping out of a vehicle show her clutching her clutch to her chest.
This action is anything but a thoughtless habit. The truth is that Diana was once documented stepping out of a car in a strapless dress and a little too much skin was captured on camera. After the shots went public, she must have decided that the best recovery was to never repeat the mistake again.
A Button Mishap
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The Royals are often held to unreasonable expectations of modesty and decorum.
It isn’t surprising that a peak of Meghan Markle’s undergarments became a huge thing in August of 2018 when she and Prince Harry attended the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks.
Some even said they suspect the unbuttoned top was intentional.
Personally, I think she looks classy and a small glimpse of black lace doesn’t ruin the look.
Snap Goes the Purse Strap
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A small purse carried by Queen Elizabeth gave her major problems.
In 2010, while celebrating her cousin’s 70th birthday — he also happens to be King Constantine of Greece — Queen Elizabeth had two major wardrobe malfunctions. Some of her dinner ended up on her clothes, which could happen to anyone, really. The strap of her small purse also snapped, leaving her clutching on to either end of the strap to keep from dropping it.
An Iconic Look
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Princess Beatrice is now known for her wild hats.
When Kate Middleton and Prince William were married, Princess Beatrice pulled out all the stops. Her creative hat, which was designed by Philip Treacy, got a lot of attention. One Twitter user went as far as setting up an account just for her hat. This isn’t a new thing for Beatrice either.
In 2008, she wore a hat covered with butterflies when Peter Phillips married Autumn Kelly.
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Were the wild hats the wardrobe misstep, or was an unexpected choice at Meghan and Harry’s wedding the real mistake?
When Beatrice and her sister Eugenie arrived at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, they took the world by surprise by wearing totally understated hats.
Eugenie wore a small pillbox hat, while Beatrice wore a headpiece that looked more like a headband.
It’s almost like the whole world was expecting something typically out there from the two and felt let down by their stylish and conservative choices.
A Little Turned Around
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In June of this year, Kate Middleton attended a charity event hosted for Addiction Awareness Week.
She wore an off-the-shoulder white dress and looked totally stunning. Somehow, the people of the internet saw past all of that and noticed a clue that her dress was on backward. A zipper can be seen on the front of her dress. From the pictures, it is honestly difficult to tell if this is a wardrobe malfunction or if she’s wearing the dress exactly as it was meant to be worn.
Either way, she looks beautiful.
Have you ever experienced a royally embarrassing wardrobe malfunction? We want to hear all about it!