For most, a hug is a completely normal way to express affection, but not for royals when they're out and about on an official engagement. It's rare for a member of the Queen's family to embrace in public as they're technically working, but every now and then, the royals decide that rules are there to be broken.
The short answer is: yes, they are, and younger members of The Firm are often photographed embracing members of the public.
An unwritten rule saying royals must act professionally could be why they rarely engage in PDA. During rare occasions, the pair's been seen holding hands or touching each other's backs.
This is because it is generally frowned upon for members of the public to touch royals. “If you are a member of the public meeting a member of the royal family, you should never offer your hand to shake — wait for them to initiate the handshake,” Harrold added.
“Or hugged.” While there aren't any legal rules in place, it is accepted that people should not touch a royal family member, unless the royal is the one who initiates contact.
Royal protocol dictates that one must not touch the Queen unless she offers her hand first.
LONDON (Reuters) - Touching Queen Elizabeth has long been considered one of the greatest taboos surrounding the British monarch, one of the unwritten rules about how people are expected to behave around the royal family.
There are also rules of etiquette for encounters with the queen, although they are less rigid than many believe. Chief among them: Don't get too affectionate with the queen, who does not expect to be hugged or kissed by guests.
"The one thing they talked about a lot was no selfies, and the reason was that they didn't want people turning their backs to the Royal Family and the Queen. And that was very important to them," Greg Agnew said. "You do not turn your back on the Royal Family, and you do not attempt to walk up and talk to them."
The monarch isn't a fan of a deep bath either, she is said to bathe in “no more than seven inches of water”, according to royal author Brian Hoey for the Daily Mail.
The queen sets the precedent.
There's no written rule that says that William and Kate can't kiss or hold hands in public, but as we know, the royal family is taught to follow the queen's lead.
But apparently there's a sweet and romantic reason that the Cambridges avoid PDA. According to body language expert Darren Stanton, William and Kate's don't feel they have to 'prove' themselves on outings because they know they have a 'deep connection'.
Members of the royal family are rarely seen using cell phones in public, and that's because protocol dictates that nobody should turn their back to the Queen.
Royal etiquette expert Myka Meier told Fabulous, "Underwear and bras are also considered private intimate wear, and for royals to put intimate apparel on display would simply not be done."
It has been reported that the Queen and Prince Phillip didn't share a bed because of a tradition followed by the upper classes. Not only did the monarch and her husband not share a bed, but it's also believed that they each had separate bedrooms altogether.
One of the worst things a woman in the royal family can do—as far as etiquette rules go—is sit with her legs crossed at the knee. Legs and knees must be kept together, although crossing at the ankle is fine.
Princess Eugenie is one of the only royals with visible tattoos. She showed off her small tattoo, a delicately inked circle behind her left year, at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. However, it is unclear when she first got the piece of body art.
In truth, the act of removing her outermost layer of clothing in public would be considered “unladylike,” per royal standards. Should she feel a little stuffy underneath all those layers, she must at least step out of sight of the cameras before taking off her coat.
This is because black during the day is generally associated with mourning, and so royal etiquette considers it too sober. Of course there have been some exceptions, for example Princess Diana sometimes wore black, and Meghan Markle once wore a black suit during the day.
Prince William defied royal protocol at the King's Coronation when he chose not to bow to Queen Camilla at the Coronation Concert.
Traditionally, when greeting a member of the British royal family, men bow their heads and women do a small curtsy, according to the royal family's website. Little footage exists of the queen bowing to others, though AP footage shows she bowed her head as Princess Diana's funeral procession passed by in 1997.
President Jimmy Carter broke royal protocol by kissing the Queen Mother on the lips during his visit in 1977. "I took a sharp step backwards – not quite far enough," the Queen Mother is said to have remarked after the encounter, according to BBC.
Women who have famously refused to curtsy to the Royal Family include Cherie Blair, when husband Tony Blair was Prime Minister.
"Toilet"
If you're looking for a restroom in Buckingham Palace, ask for the loo or the lavatory.
As an old tradition dictates, royal couples never share the same bed or bedroom, allowing them to move freely while asleep. It allows them much needed alone time after hours of being in the limelight.