Kate Middleton Just Broke Royal Protocol...with Her Shoes

Kate Middleton is getting back to business (and breaking the rules in the process). The Duchess of Cambridge broke Queen Elizabeth’s royal fashion "rule" during her latest public outing.

To mark the end of Children's Hospice Week, the 38-year-old royal recently paid a visit to the Nook center in Norfolk, where she helped plant a sensory garden and met with staff from East Anglia Children’s Hospices to thank them for their continued work during the current pandemic. The mother of three looked garden chic, as she potted sunflowers and spoke with families who have been cared for by EACH.

And while we were originally focused on her floral midi dress from Faithfull the Brand (which is already sold out), we almost missed one tiny detail—her wedge espadrille heels from Russell & Bromley. The footwear actually breaks a royal style rule (but the duchess didn’t seem to mind). Apparently, according to multiple reports over the years, Her Majesty isn’t a fan of wedged heels and has directed working members of the royal family away from wearing them.

However, there are rare occasions where we’ve seen Middleton sporting the warm weather shoes (during the 2012 Olympic torch relay in London, for example). And what better place to rock them than a garden?