This is what Kate Middleton apparently carries in her handbag

(Image credit: 2020 Pool/Samir Hussein)

There's quite a history between royal women and their handbags. Princess Diana used her clutch bag to cover her cleavage from prying photographers, whilst the Queen moves her handbag from one arm to the other to signal to her staff when she’s bored of chatting to someone.

Another reason they carry clutch bags is to have an excuse to avoid shaking hands if they find a situation a bit comfortable. And if you've ever wondered what exactly they do carry in there (and it's never cash FYI), we've been given a glimpse into the Duchess of Cambridge's handbag, which incidentally she often carries in her left hand for this reason.

According to royal author Marcia Moody’s 2013 book Kate: A Biography, Catherine always carries three four items with her.

'In her small clutch she carries a compact mirror, blotting paper, a handkerchief and lip balm,' she writes. We can all definitely relate to that, and it makes sense for someone whose picture is taken all the time to not want to appear shiny, have cracked lips or a runny nose.

And if space permits, ie, when she carries a bigger handbag or tote bag, the Duchess of Cambridge is said to carry her own personal camera, as she is so keen on taking pictures.

Referencing Kate’s royal tour with William to Canada in 2011, she says, 'Since she has always been a keen photographer, she took her own Canon camera to snap some personal images.'

Well that's good to know, isn't it?

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.