We should all copy Kate Middleton’s genius packing hack

As the Cambridges tour the world for royal engagements on a regular basis (pandemic notwithstanding) it's no surprise Kate Middleton has become a dab hand at packing.

She has a catalogue of hacks, including dresses having their own seats on the plane and the outfit she never wears when flying. She also always makes sure to pack a black outfit, should there be a death in the family when she is travelling.

And to keep all said garments spotless and crease-free, the Duchess makes sure she organises them specifically in her suitcase. In fact, she is said to carefully fold clothes before wrapping them individually in tissue paper, a far cry from the careless chuck-in-the-suitcase technique most of us adopt.

Make your packing even more seamless with these nifty suitcases...

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The Carry-On suitcase, £215 at Away
The suitcase is sized to fit in the overhead bin of most major airlines, and is compact enough for train and car trips alike. With a durable polycarbonate hard shell and 360° spinner wheels that ensure a smooth ride, this suitcase is built to last. Plus, its interior compression system and hidden laundry bag make packing that much easier.

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The Garment Bag, £175 at Away
The Garment Bag can fit two suits or three full-length garments, and features an exterior zip pocket for easy access to travel essentials as well as interior zip pockets for shoes and accessories. A zip-out hook makes it easy to hang in a closet or over a door, while the luggage clip secures it seamlessly to any Away suitcase.

Furthermore, as mentioned previously, her dresses usually get their own seats on the plane to make sure they are laid flat, and are packed away in separate garment bags, which explains why Kate always looks flawless when she steps off a plane.

However, she isn't the only royal with excellent packing skills, as Meghan Markle also has her own version of the hack.

The Duchess of Sussex is said to separate garments with tumble dryer sheets to keep them smelling fresh.

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.