Kate and William visited the Hayes Muslim Center
Kate Middleton made a protocol error
The Princess of Wales looked embarrassed
We thought she was imperturbable, experienced in the royal exercise, incapable of making a false step … But no, Kate Middleton is indeed human after all! This Thursday, March 9, the Princess of Wales indeed experienced a rare moment of embarrassment when she visited, with Prince William, the Hayes Muslim Center in London. While there, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge listened to volunteers talk about community efforts to raise funds to help those affected by recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. But when they introduced themselves to a number of leaders, including Iman Sufyan Iqbal, Kate Middleton made a gross error in protocol. Prince William shook hands with each of the leaders in turn, as did Kate Middleton.
Except that when greeting Iman Sufyan, the Princess of Wales also held out her hand. He responded by pressing his hand to his heart, nodding and smiling at him. As British media reports, “placing a hand over the heart with a nod or a slight bow is considered a polite way for a man to greet a woman in some Muslim traditions.” In some traditions, “having physical contact with a woman who is not his wife or a very close relative can be ‘haram’, understand a sin”. A similar situation recently occurred for Queen Letizia of Spain, as she welcomed the Iranian Ambassador to the Royal Palace in Madrid. He shook hands with her husband, King Felipe, but preferred to bow his head to the queen and placed two hands on her heart than to extend his hand to her.
Kate Middleton: an outfit without faux pas
Despite this misstep, Kate Middleton has once again made a flawless dress. For this visit, the Princess of Wales chose to recycle a black pleated Alexander McQueen dress, which she first wore to meet Britons at Sandringham after the death of Queen Elizabeth II. As a sign of respect, the couple took off their shoes and Kate Middleton covered her head with a black and white scarf from the Pakistani brand Élan, which was already part of an outfit she wore during her visit to the country in 2019. During their engagement of the day, Kate Middleton and Prince William met with representatives of the center who collected more than 25,000 books to help Turkey and Syria but also children.
Kate Middleton and Prince William © Agency
