When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
Credit: Stefan Rousseau – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Just about everything Kate Middleton does receives a ton of attention from the general public. While her fashion choices are regularly scrutinized and replicated, Princess Kate’s actions during official royal engagements have also come under the microscope. Case in point: her recent visit to Colchester Hospital, where she made a strange request regarding her hands.
On July 2, the Princess of Wales made a solo appearance at the Royal Horticultural Society‘s Wellbeing Garden at Colchester Hospital. As well as borrowing Meghan Markle’s style for the visit, Princess Kate received praise from royal fans for an “unusual request” she made, per the Express.
The Princess of Wales planted some roses in the garden during the engagement, and she was offered a pair of gardening gloves to protect her hands. However, Kate asked if she could plant the roses without wearing the gloves, saying she wanted to “feel the earth,” the Express reported.
Princess Kate reportedly turned down gardening gloves. | Credit: Stefan Rousseau – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Princess Kate’s decision to forgo gardening gloves was appreciated by royal fans, who commented on an Instagram post shared by the Prince and Princess of Wales’s official account.
“I absolutely love that she’s digging in the garden without gloves and that her bouncy curls have fallen flat and are frizzy by the end of the video,” one fan commented on the post. “Not the typical stuffy prim and proper royal video…there’s a beautiful human element to it.”
Another person commented on the video, “I love that HRH gets right down into the earth. No gloves, no care about dirt on her knees, she really connects to the earth and it’s so healing for her.” Yet another royal fan simply wrote, “I loved seeing her hands.”
For the engagement, Princess Kate looked chic in a Ralph Lauren Collection “Capri” Poplin Striped Button-Down Shirt in Moss/White, which retails for $790.
Princess Kate wearing a Ralph Lauren Collection shirt. | Credit: Stefan Rousseau – WPA Pool/Getty Images
Capri Striped Cotton Shirt
The Princess of Wales completed her outfit with a BLAZÉ Milano Wind Hunter Charmer Blazer in Pinstripe and Veja Esplair Sneakers in White/Rose Gold.