16 Strict Rules British Royal Children Must Follow

Dress Code

Shorts are compulsory for young boys in the royal family. Tradition dictates that boys of the upper classes cannot wear long pants until they are about eight years old. “Trousers are for older boys and men, whereas shorts on young boys is one of those silent class markers that we have in England,” William Hanson told Harper’s Bazaar. “Although times are (slowly) changing, a pair of trousers on a young boy is considered quite middle class – quite suburban. And no self-respecting aristo or royal would want to be considered suburban.” The tradition likely comes from the centuries-old practice of “breeching.” Boys in Western Europe were expected to only wear dresses during the first few years of their life; this practice continued until the 1920s. Then they were given their first pair of short trousers in a formal ceremony, which marked their journey “from babyhood to boyhood.”