There's a good reason why the royals almost always carry a clutch bag
- An etiquette expert believes Kate Middleton almost always carries a clutch bag to avoid awkward hand shake situations.
- Meanwhile, Her Majesty the Queen nearly always carries a handbag with a short strap - and she often holds it with both hands, too.
- Future royal Meghan Markle, however, seems less fazed by contact with the public.
Senior members of the royal family, like the Duchess of Cambridge, almost always carry a clutch-style handbag - and there's a good theory for why that is.
Myka Meier, the founder of Beaumont Etiquette, told Good Housekeeping: "When the Duchess is at an event, she holds her bag in front of her in both hands when shaking hands might be awkward."
"Or she can place it in one hand to have the other free. It never gets tucked under an arm or placed on the ground or table."
If you look back through the photo archive, you'll rarely spot Kate Middleton without a clutch in hand. She's most often photographed holding it with both hands in front of her during public appearances.
Meanwhile, the Queen is a fan of handbags with a short strap, which she can either carry with both hands or hang off her wrist or arm.
Meghan Markle opted for a similar formal style when she attended the Christmas Day church service with the royal family in King's Lynn...
...But last week, during a visit to Edinburgh Castle, she opted for something a little more relaxed, by way of a simple crossbody bag, prompting some observers to suggest she had once again defied royal tradition.
Markle doesn't appear to be fazed by contact with the public, and it was only last week that she made headlines for hugging a charity worker at a separate appearance.
While at Edinburgh Castle, she used her free hands to accept gifts from and interact with well-wishers.
