Kate Middleton Declines a Fan's Request During Latest Outing — and It Shows Her Respect for Protocol
During her visit to Powys, an enthusiastic fan approached Kate Middleton with an innocent request, but she had to turn it down.
Being the future queen comes with its fair share of responsibilities and rules. Once a commoner, Kate Middleton has seamlessly blended into royal life, adhering to strict protocols out of respect for the Crown. She demonstrated that very obedient streak during her visit to Powys, Wales, on February 26. While greeting members of the crowd, an enthusiastic royal fan asked for her autograph, which she politely declined, as members of the royal family are not permitted to do so due to the risk of forgery.
The Prince and Princess of Wales arrived in Powys ahead of St. David's Day on March 1. According to HELLO!, after the man approached Middleton for an autograph, she responded, "I can't sign things, I'm so sorry. I can shake your hand, though," as she proceeded to embrace him. "Nice to meet you," she said before she took a photo with a little girl as her proud father looked on. While Middleton seemingly respected the no autograph rule, she broke the no selfies rule for the young child, which she and Prince William have often done during royal engagements.
While it is common to see royals sign their names in guest books or messages attached to wreaths, they never offer to sign autographs for fans during public walkabouts. They are said to be extremely conscious that their signatures could be copied, reproduced, or misused, which could be used for fraudulent purposes. Middleton previously denied a similar request during the 2023 Chelsea Flower Show, where she told some children, "My name's Catherine. I'm not allowed to write my signature; it's just one of those rules." The only royal who has broken this long-upheld protocol was the then-Prince Charles, who signed 'Charles 2010' on a piece of paper for flood victims in Cornwall that same year.
In the past, like his elder daughter-in-law, Charles has also humbly declined a fan's request for an autograph, saying, "Sorry, they don't allow me to do that." However, he has hugged his supporters and clicked selfies, also a no-go under protocols. On the contrary, Prince Harry has admitted that he 'hates selfies' during his visit to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia. He was heard telling a fan, "Seriously, you need to get out of it [the habit]. I know you're young, selfies are bad. Just take a normal photograph!"
Circling back to Middleton's Wales visit, while she did not sign an autograph, she did engage in a game of rock-paper-scissors with the children, which she is definitely allowed to do! In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter) by Daily Express's correspondent Emily Ferguson, the Princess said, "Let's do it again. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot. Aw!" as the first boy's 'paper' gesture topped her 'rock.' Another clip showed the 'Children's Princess' giving three bear hugs and handshakes to a group of little girls holding Welsh flags, who were bouncing with excitement at seeing her.
