Kate Middleton Refuses to Break Royal Rule When Asked by Fan

As a royally-obsessed fan, you’ve probably heard the term “royal protocol” used a lot when a member of the British royal family attends an engagement or goes on an outing. But, what does it really mean? Whenever the royals are out and about, there is a set of rules in place that they (and the people they come in contact with) must follow.

Kate Middleton, 41, has broken royal protocol many times, whether that be taking a selfie with a fan or wearing a certain shade of nail polish. However, there was one strict rule the Princess of Wales couldn’t break during a recent outing.

Yesterday morning, Princess Catherine surprised a group of school students at the Chelsea Flower Show in London.

As a special gift, Princess Kate decided to draw a flower, a tree and a pond for three students on a piece of paper. Per the outlet, when she was asked why she couldn’t give her autograph, she simply explained, “My name’s Catherine. I’m not allowed to write my signature, it’s just one of those rules.”

At the garden picnic, we had a chance to see the royal princess’s parenting skills front and center. In a photo (see below), the Princess of Wales is bending down at eye level to talk to one of the students. This particular technique helps level the playing field and creates a safe environment for the child to have an open dialogue with her.