This is why Kate Middleton will never wear wedges around the Queen

And neither will Meghan Markle...

The Duchess of Cambridge is a fashion icon. In fact the Kate Middleton effect is so strong that just by wearing a brand or giving it her royal seal of approval, she can make the pieces sell out in minutes and turn small British businesses into internationally renowned brands.

But while being a royal allows you to have fashion designers at your disposal and custom-made couture aplenty, there is a hefty rule book to follow and a lot of royal fashion regulations to adhere to.

Royal women must wear tights and hats when in public, athleisure is strictly discouraged (particularly with regards to leggings) and there is a ban on wearing diamonds before 6pm.

While these regulations are more formal and age-old, others have developed over time based on the Queen's preferences.

The most famous of these relates to footwear.

Strappy sandals and even trainers get the royal thumbs up, but one shoe style that won’t go down well with the Mountbatten-Windsors is the royal wedge.

Why? For the simple fact that the monarch doesn’t like them.

Kate Middleton is known to love wedges, often photographed teaming them with summer dresses, but on closer inspection, it looks like there’s a time and a place.

Kate Middleton will never wear wedges in front of the Queen, replacing them instead with court heels at events where Her Majesty is present.

"The Queen isn’t a fan of wedged shoes," a source told Vanity Fair. "She really doesn’t like them and it’s well known among the women in the family."

That’s another reason why as much as we love them, we couldn’t hack it in the royal family.

We couldn't give up wedges.