King Charles seethed at photographs of his mother posing with her hands in her pockets, but he and other royals do this too…
When King Charles saw photographs of his mother posing with her hands in her pockets, he was said to be incandescent.
Charles considered the photos, taken during a Royal Collection photoshoot, inappropriate and, as a result, they were not published.
The images, which later featured in Angela Kelly’s 2019 book, The Queen, The Dresser and The Wardrobe, captured a rare moment of Queen Elizabeth deviating from the strict protocols of royal etiquette.
Kelly, who served as the Queen’s dresser for nearly 20 years, wrote: ‘Her Majesty started striking a series of poses, slipping her hands in and out of her pockets and placing them on to her hips, mimicking the stance of a professional model.’
In the world of monarchy, every gesture and posture carries significance, and the seemingly casual act of placing hands in pockets can spark controversy.
However, several members of the Royal Family, including King Charles himself, have been seen with their hands in their pockets, on both casual and formal occasions – as we reveal below.
King Charles casually walks with one hand in his jacket pocket as he arrives at the Easter Sunday Mattins Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in 2023
Queen Elizabeth II shelters from the rain with her hands in her pockets as she attends the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2019
Meghan Markle chats with both hands firmly in her pockets during an official visit to Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand with Prince Harry in 2018
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, keeps her hands in the pockets of her puffa coat during the England Hockey team training session at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre in 2020
Princess Beatrice places a hand in her pocket while posing for photographs at a private view of the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition at the V&A in 2015
Prince Louis arrives at Westminster Abbey for the Together At Christmas 2023 carol service with his hands in his coat on their way to his pockets
Peter Phillips strikes a casual pose while watching the racing from the royal box at Cheltenham Festival 2024
Prince William appears laidback at he strides along the pavement in Portsmouth with one hand in his jeans pocket in 2015
Princess Anne keeps warm by placing her hands in the pockets of her tweed jacket during the Gatcombe Horse Trials at Gatcombe Park in Stroud in 2007
Zara Tindall cuts a stylish figure on day one of Royal Ascot 2023, utilising the pockets of her floral dress
Queen Camilla places a hand in her Musto jacket while visiting Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, Tetbury, in 2020
Meghan, pregnant with Archie, looks relaxed during a visit to the Hubb Community Kitchen, North Kensington, in 2018
Sophie walks with one hand in her pocket at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2022
King Charles places a hand in his coat pocket as he departs the New Year’s Day service at St Mary Magdalene, Sandringham, in 2023
Zara appears nonchalant at Cheltenham Racecourse, keeping her gloved hands in her pockets, January 2024
